Rose of the Stars
by DisgruntledJaeger
Summary: "Destiny. Such a complicated word. To think that the fate of the galaxy rests in the hands of the few is madness. Therefore, I must be insane to think that you can shoulder the burden alone. But you can... and you must. It was for this very reason that we saved you from your fate. So come, Ruby Rose. It is time to find your destiny in this doomed galaxy." -Unknown-
1. Chapter 1

_I stood alone on an empty world. Around me, the darkness of a lifeless galaxy spanned the endless sky._

 _I was alone._

 _But then I saw life. High above me were more worlds hanging in the night, life slowing coming into being on their surfaces. I watched civilizations rise and fall, growing all the while to fill the whole galaxy with life._

 _I saw things that astound me to this very day, but do you know what else I saw?_

 _Light._

 _Every being with life, no matter how small, had a light, and each life burned in the darkness like a distant star, filling the galaxy with light._

 _I watched it grow as the decades turned into centuries and soon the galaxy glowed like a sun. But among the billions in the sea of stars, I saw a special few blessed with great power. The light of their lives burned silver in the night, shining like suns. These special few kept the peace, guarding and protecting the hundreds of species in the galaxy._

 _Then... the darkness came._

 _Like a tidal wave they poured from beyond the edge of galaxy, purging all in its path. In terror I watched as the galaxy itself was extinguished, the darkness smothering the lives of billions under their relentless purge. The silver lights among them fought valiantly, but even they were overwhelmed. One by one the worlds fell into darkness, once again leaving the galaxy in an endless night._

 _And I was alone once again._

 _I waited for the darkness to take me as well... but it receded, returning to the night outside the galaxy._

 _As I wondered over why it did this, life began anew. Civilizations rose and fell, and once again I watched as the galaxy filled with life. I watched it grow, joyful at it's return, for life could never truly be extinguished._

 _Then, at the height of their power, the darkness came again._

 _Once again I watched as the galaxy was purged. Even the silver lights were powerless to stop it, overwhelmed by its power. And when the purge was complete the darkness once again left the galaxy in peace, to wait the rise of a new nation._

 _Then I realized its purpose._

 _Like a farmer tilling the land, the darkness tilled the galaxy for its life, harvesting it into their own. And the darkness only grew in strength. With each passing purge they grew in number and strength._

 _And I stood alone... powerless to help._

 _Over and over again I watched the galaxy grow until the darkness came and reaped its harvest. The endless cycle of death, imposed upon the galaxy by its dark caretakers. I lost count of the nations I saw rise and fall, all to be consumed by the darkness. I was sorrowful, but there was nothing I could do. I was alone, watching like a ghost._

 _Then I looked down and saw my own world. Life had begun to grow on its surface._

 _In that moment, I felt true fear. Fear for myself, my family, our children and my entire species. In terror I watched them grow until they reached out to the stars, eager to taste its secrets. They grew quickly, meeting others and forming an empire that spanned the stars. It was a time of great rejoicing._

 _But I could only weep._

 _I knew the fate of my people, and I cried for them. Nothing could escape the darkness that was to come._

 _But then... I saw light. A single bright star shining in the galaxy, set apart from the cycle of death. Hope. Not for my people, but for those who were to come. A single hope for the galaxy. That hope is what I have striven towards my entire life. But that is my story, not yours._

 _But what was that hope, you may ask? First, let me ask you something, Little Rose._

 _Do you believe in destiny?_

Silver eyes opened a panic, reflecting the furious fires around her. The voice in her head vanished as quickly as it had appeared, fading into the back of her mind like a forgotten dream. But she was given no time to think about it as an explosion rocked the ground beneath her feet.

She suddenly realized that she was lying on her stomach, head pressed into the dirt. Her chest burned in pain and her body ached from exhaustion. But that all went away when she saw the fires blazing around her, striking fear into her heart. The heat burned her skin and made her eyes smart. She opened her mouth to cry out but smoke and ash rushed in, filling her lungs.

Fighting through the pain she pushed herself onto her feet, coughing violently. Another explosion blasted through the air, knocking her back to the ground.

Her ears were ringing and her vision swam before her eyes, her imagination turning the jumping flames turning into unimaginable horrors reaching out for her. She started to panic, choking for air as she pushed herself back up and desperately looked for a way out of the flames.

Burning buildings surrounded her, their windows belching black smoke. But what horrified her most were the burned corpse that lay around her. Their charred forms twisted on the ground as if they were dancing, their open expressions of agony morphing into terrifying grins in the shifting light. The crackling flames seemed to laugh at her, filling the air with the ghastly noise and rejoicing that they had claimed another victim.

She ran. She ran and she didn't stop, past the burning buildings and the corpses into the firestorm beyond.

"Hello!" she cried into the air, then coughed. The smoke was too thick, clogging her lungs with ash. But still she tried again.

"Hello?! Help m-"

From the flames on her left another explosion rocked the earth, slamming her back into the ground.

She gasped in pain, tears pouring down her face as she helplessly looked around at the fires that strove to engulf her in their fury.

"Please!" she screamed, pushing herself back up as she started running through the burning streets of hell itself. "Someone! Please help me!"

Anderson watched as another building exploded, barely feeling the shock wave wash over him. He was far enough away from the burning settlement to be safe from the detonation of exploding fuel tanks. Even if something did reach him, his N7 armor could protect him from most of the splash damage.

Another prefabricated shelter bust into flames as he watched. He'd been waiting for ten minutes now, under orders to rescue anyone from the burning settlement.

The Batarians had razed Mindoir to the ground, enslaving thousands and killing the rest. Nothing remained except ashes and bodies.

They were too late.

" _Lieutenant, report._ " The voice of Admiral Hackett spoke over his helmet radio.

"Its bad, sir," he said gravelly. "The raiders left nothing behind." The Admiral could probably see the fires from orbit so there was no need to elaborate.

" _Any survivors?_ "

His head dipped and a scowl threatened to break across his face at the Batarian's ruthlessness.

"None so far," he replied, surprised by the optimism in his own words. "Just one more hour, sir. That's all I ask."

Hackett sighed. " _Lieutenant, I'm sorry, but there's no one left here. I need you back with your squad to secure the next settlement. Understood?_ "

Anderson looked over his shoulder. The rest of his team was just cresting the top of a hill, moving away from the burning town. They had searched the outskirts for any survivors, but none dared enter the raging inferno. They had waited for a bit, just too see if anyone would come staggering out, but as time passed it became apparent that nothing had survived.

But for some reason Anderson held onto hope. He ordered his team to move on while he waited just a little bit longer, but now he couldn't disobey a direct order.

"Understood sir," he said quietly.

The comm cut out with a crackle.

Sighing sadly, Anderson reached down and picked up his helmet from the ground and slipped it on. He was just about to turn away when a flash of movement caught his eye. He froze, staring into the flames.

There, in between two of the burning building, no less than twenty meters away from safety, a black form ran through the fires, heading straight for him. It was too small to be a Batarian or any grown up.

A child then.

Anderson's heart jumped in his chest. Without a moments hesitation he plunged into the burning inferno, charging through the jumping flames to the mysterious person, heedless of his own safety. As he got closer he could see that it was a young girl, no older then sixteen. But before he could reach her, she tripped and fell, ploughing hard into the ground. Anderson was on her in an instant, gently picking her up before running back to the safety of the outside world.

As she felt the arms of her rescuer wrap around her, the girl pressed herself into his chest, shivering in fear. He held her tighter as he ran, heedless of the fires that threatened to engulf him

At last he broke through the wall of flames and burst out into the clean, open air. Panting, he slowed to a stop and heard the girl's ragged coughs. He breathed a sigh of relief. She was alive. They had found a survivor after all!

"Medic!" he shouted into his helmet radio as he gently lay her on the ground. "We need a medic over here!"

Far off in the distance his squad heard his cry. They turned and ran back towards his position. But his primary focus was the girl. She was short for sixteen, maybe not even fifteen. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she greedily sucked in air.

She wore the strangest clothes Anderson had ever seen. A blouse with a tight corset wrapped around her waist above a burned ragged skirt that hung from her hips. A pair of black tights covered her legs and heavy combat boots encased her feet. A belt was clipped around her waist, covered with loops for storing old fashioned bullets. A brooch, engraved with a stylized silver rose was clipped to it. But oddest of all was the long red cloak that hung from her shoulders.

Her style made Anderson raise an eyebrow. He hadn't seen clothes like this since... forever, really. From his vague understanding of the subject, the Gothic trend had gone out of style almost centuries ago.

A gasp made him look up. The girl had opened her eyes, revealing brilliant silver irises, staring up into the blue sky above. Her skin was pale, dotted with spots of ash. Her youthful face was framed by locks of black hair that turned red near the tips.

She blinked, staring up at the sky in bewilderment, then slowly trailed down to gaze at him. The shock, fear and relief on her face was palpable as she saw her savior.

"Easy, it's alright. You're safe now," Anderson said softly, easing off his helmet and smiling comfortingly at her. "What's-"

Before he could react, she jumped up and hugged him around the waist, crying and babbling intelligibly into his chest. He hugged her back without a second thought. The poor girl had just lost her home, her family, and very nearly died herself. This was the very least he could do.

Anderson let her cry for another few minutes until her sobs slowly subsided, then he gently questioned; "What's your name, child?"

The girl looked up from his chest, tear stained cheeks and silver eyes reflecting the fires behind him. Her face was oddly blank, as if she was having a hard time remembering such a simple fact. Then she swallowed.

"Ruby... Ruby Rose."


	2. Chapter 2

Cool water rushed down her throat, washing away the smoke and ash of the fires. Ruby sighed in contentment as she finished the tall glass of liquid.

"Thank you," she said quietly, handing it back to Anderson. He nodded with a smile and handed the glass off to Doctor Chakwas. The kind woman wordlessly set it on a nearby desk and continued her examination, running her omni-tool everywhere down her sore body.

Ruby yawned and leaned against Anderson, the exhausting events of the last few hours finally catching up with her. The comfy bio-bed beneath them wasn't helping her fight to stay awake.

The Lieutenant hadn't let her out of his sight once since he found her. The fear of being burned alive and the fact that she had almost died made her cling to him like a barnacle. He was kind and gentle with her, almost like a father, but not like... her own...

Something about that statement made Ruby pause. It troubled her somehow, she just didn't know why.

"Look here."

Ruby looked up and saw Chakwas holding a finger up in front of her eyes.

"Uh... what?" she asked, blinking in confusion.

"Just testing your retinas, dear," the Doctor said soothingly. "Now, here."

Ruby tracked the finger as it traced the air in front of her. As it withdrew, her eyes slowly began to droop as she pressed into Anderson's side.

After pulling her out of the burning settlement, Anderson's team medic had immediately started looking her over for injuries. Aside from a bunch of fresh scar tissue on her chest, visible through tears in her clothing, she wasn't seriously hurt. There were a few small burns, but nothing their medi-gel couldn't handle.

It had been a terrifying experience, almost burning to death in the flames. But the terror had quickly faded when she was rescued, only to be replaced by awe and fascination as Anderson's team had closed in around her. Their weapons and armor were just so... so... Ruby wanted to squeal with excitement as she saw a pistol fold up into a box small enough to fit on her belt. The mechanisms of the weapon fascinated her. For some reason she wanted nothing more than to take it apart piece by piece.

The squad had laughed when she asked if she could and denied her request, being more concerned with getting her to safety. She had pouted childishly at them, something that amused Anderson to no end. But that pout had been instantly washed away when she saw the shuttle land in front of her to take her up to the Alliance fleet in orbit. Already she was being called the sole survivor of Mindoir... wherever that was.

Then she was going up. Into space.

For some reason, that also troubled her. That didn't seem possible for some reason. In fact, the very name of the planet, Mindoir, made her feel... uneasy. That wasn't right somehow.

Once they landed in the hanger bay of a Cruiser she was given no time to look around and was immediately rushed off to the medical bay where she had remained ever since. And now it was starting to get boring. Anderson had stayed with her, of course, but he had remained silent for most of the time while Chakwas was fussing over her.

But something had continued to trouble her. Something was missing. Something very important.

Finally satisfied, the Doctor sighed and lowered her hand, dismissing the omni-tool.

"Well, Ruby, you are in the best of health, all thing considered. Though I have to wonder how you survived that long. You must have been in that fire for hours before Anderson came."

Ruby shivered, remembering her frantic race for survival, something that didn't go unnoticed by the man beside her.

"Does it matter?" Anderson asked, wrapping an arm around Ruby's shoulders comfortingly.

"Not to me, no. But some people might be suspicious of the circumstances."

"That's ridiculous."

As their talk descended into more confusing technical terms, Ruby yawned and cuddled against Anderson, trying to find what little warmth she could through his armor.

The size of the cavernous medical bay boggled her mind. It was huge, larger than any room she'd seen so far... well, that wasn't true. The hanger was bigger, but that was for shuttles and gunships. Here rows of bio-beds stretched from wall to wall and highly advanced medical equipment filled the room. A doctor's dream come true.

But it was still rather cold in here. Anderson said it had something to do with them being in space. Again, that continued to bother her. Had she never been in space before?

"Ruby?"

She looked up and found Chakwas looking down at her. Both she and Anderson had looks of extreme sympathy on their faces.

"We hate to bring this up," the Doctor said softly, "but did you have any family on Mindoir? We're having trouble tracing your name in the colony's records. Anything you can give us might help."

Ruby opened her mouth to answer, then stopped.

She didn't know. She remembered waking up in the fires, meeting Anderson and then coming up here... but nothing before that. She couldn't remember anything.

Nothing.

She whimpered as a shiver ran down her spine. "I... I..."

She couldn't remember a thing. No home, no family... She was alone... and that terrified her.

"I... I don't know," she whimpered, pressing herself harder against Anderson as she stared up at the two adults with watering eyes. "I-I can't remember."

She started to tremble. She couldn't remember a single thing, but... she felt something missing, an empty feeling in her chest that came with a revelation. She missed someone. A person? A brother, a sister? Sure, she might not remember having a family but that didn't mean she didn't have one.

Right?

 _Right?_

"It's alright," came Chakwas' soothing voice as she wrap her arms around the trembling girl and hugged her tight. "It's alright... it's alright..."

Soon Anderson joined the hug, wrapping Ruby in a feeling of reassurance and safety. Slowly, her tremors ceased, though she still clung to the marine sitting next to her, sniffling occasionally. Anderson didn't object and only tightened his arms around her. After a while Chakwas extricated herself from the embrace and looked to Anderson. "This could be a problem."

The man nodded grimly. "Yes, it could."

"I'll talk to the Admiral."

Giving Ruby one more comforting smile, Chakwas turned and hurried from the medical bay to parts unknown.

"What was she talking about?" Ruby asked quietly as she watched the door shut behind her.

Anderson sighed. "There are no records of you ever being on Mindoir. We don't know if-"

"Where's that?"

Anderson looked down in surprise and met two silver eyes staring up at him in confusion.

"It's the name of the colony," he answered. "It's where we found you."

She blinked at him. Had the circumstances been different, Anderson would have found the look of confusion on her face cute.

"That... doesn't sound right," she said slowly.

"Why?"

"I don't know." She pulled up her legs and hugged them to her chest. "Mirdoir... it doesn't sound right for some reason."

"Mindoir," he corrected softly. "But don't worry, we'll have this sorted out soon enough. Is there anything you can remember? A name, a place, anything?"

"No," she said with a sniffle. "Nothing. Everything before I woke up is black... but I miss them."

"Who?"

"I don't know," she whimpered, her voice trembling. "I-I just don't know. I miss _someone..._ I just don't know who. I know... they can't be dead... I-I'm-"

"Hey, its alright," Anderson said softly, pulling her in tighter. "I'm here for you, okay? I won't let anything happen to you, child."

Her trembling ceased abruptly and she glared up at Anderson with a rather cute pout. "I'm not a kid. I'm sixteen!" Her face fell slightly. "At least... I think so."

"So you are," he chuckled, reaching down and ruffling her unruly hair. She squirmed out of his grip, playfully slapping away his hand as she glared at him with another pout. But before she could say another word, a door on the other side of the medical bay opened and two uniformed officers stepped in. Both were wearing the black uniform of the Alliance Intelligence Division.

They examined the room for a moment before locking on their position. More specifically; Ruby.

"Who are they?" Ruby asked nervously as they started towards them

Anderson's fists clenched. He had known Alliance Intelligence had come to investigate the attack, trying to discover where the pirates had come from and hopefully uncover where they were going to strike next. He didn't have a problem with it, but it was _who_ they had sent that troubled him.

Colonel Fang, a brutal man, even by Krogan standards. Anderson had hated him after their first meeting. He couldn't recognize the other officer, a man with short salt and pepper hair, but he gave off an air of importance.

They were here for Ruby, that much was obvious, and Anderson would've been fine with it. If not for Fang. From personal experience the man blurred the line between questioning and interrogation to the point of non-existance.

"Wait here," Anderson said quietly, rising and moving to intercept the advancing pair.

Ruby watched him go, hugging her knees tighter. The black suited men gave her the creeps.

Anderson stopped them about ten meters away, planting himself firmly between them and her. Ruby heard him speak to the officer, though his words were too quiet for her to make out. They talked for a minute, the officer calmly answering Anderson's questions with disturbing ease. Though Ruby strained her ears to listen, she still couldn't make out anything.

Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. She hopped off the bed and made to run to Anderson's side.

But then something strange happened.

The moment her feet touched the ground a spark seemed to go off inside her, filling her body with energy. And then she ran.

-o000o-

"I don't like this, Doctor."

Admiral Steven Hackett drummed his fingers on his desk. The screen floating before him flashed as lines of text scrolled past. It was a list of everyone, living and dead, who had ever set foot on Mindoir. There were also tens of thousands of security reports, detailing stowaways and other lowlifes that had smuggled their way onto the planet.

There were millions of names. Expect one.

"Ruby Rose. You're certain that's her name?"

"Yes sir," Chakwas said. "It's the only thing she can remember."

"Or she's lying."

The hologram vanished and Hackett leaned forward, pressing his hands together and intertwining his fingers.

His temporary office on board the Cruiser _Mother of Invention_ was spartan, having only a desk, terminal and a padded chair. It wasn't his flagship, of course. The _Everest_ was back on Earth undergoing some retrofits. Still, the office served its purpose in dealing with this mess.

"We've gone through the whole system. Ruby Rose does not exist," Hackett said firmly.

"I am well aware of that," Chakwas replied. "I've gone through every medical database I know. There's nothing."

"Then who is she?"

"She is who she says she is," Chakwas said stiffly. "I believe Ruby is telling the truth. My findings, or rather the lack there of, proves it."

Hackett's brow furrowed. "Explain."

"When I said nothing, I meant _nothing_. No genetic tracing, no retina scans, blood analysis, not even a finger print the system can track. She's never been to an Alliance hospital before, otherwise the system would have recognized her."

"Hmm." The Admiral leaned back in his chair, looking thoughtfully at Chakwas. "And what is your opinion on Miss Rose?"

"She's hardly a danger if that's what your asking. She doesn't look like a trouble maker. Right now she's just scared. Poor girl. She hasn't let go of Anderson once since they met."

Hackett scowled. "Please understand the situation, Doctor. Mindoir has just suffered one of the worst pirate attacks in history, millions are dead or enslaved and the only one to come out of it alive is a single girl who doesn't even exist. The rest of the brass is afraid that this is merely the start of something bigger. What are they going to think when they learn about this? A single survivor with no trace in Alliance records? They haven't ruled out the possibility of a sleeper agent just yet."

"And I would disagree," Chakwas said tightly. "My examinations haven't found any signs of any trauma, either physically or mentally."

"That proves nothing."

"Admiral-"

"Doctor, please," Hackett sighed tiredly. "I want to believe you. Believe me, I want nothing more than to go out and say that someone, _anyone_ , survived this tragedy. But until we know for certain we can't take chances."

"But why?" Chakwas asked, quickly growing frustrated. "She's just a girl! What does she have to do with all this?"

"Because she's the only survivor out of four whole colonies combined." Hackett leaned back, letting his words sink in. "It hasn't made the news yet, but whole colonies and outposts are being wiped off the map. Everyone just... slaughtered. The question here is why? Alliance Intelligence has been on this case for months. They believe the culprits are the same ones that attacked Mindoir."

It took Chakwas a minute to find her voice again. "But... how does Ruby fit into this?"

Hackett scowled. "Fang theorized that they used sleeper agents. Slip them into the colony as refugees and just wait for the right time to strike."

"So you're just handing her over then?" Chakwas said slowly, voice growing hard.

"Of course not," Hackett scowled again, crossing his arms. "I may have made some tough choices in the past, but I would never willingly hand over a girl to a monster like Fang."

"So why is he here?"

"An interview. Nothing more and nothing less. If he tries anything else I'll have him thrown out on his ass."

Chakwas appeared unconvinced. Before either one could say anything Hackett's omni-tool beeped with an incoming call. A quick glance confirmed that it was from Anderson. The Doctor had already informed him that the Lieutenant had stayed in the medical bay with Ruby. Something must have happened. Of course, with Fang in the room that was a given. Hackett sighed again and accepted the call.

"Lieutenant, is everything all right?"

" _I... don't know, sir._ " Anderson's cautious voice replied. " _We may have a problem here. Fang is..._ "

The name had barely been spoken before Hackett was moving, leaving the office and striding down the hall towards the medical bay. Chakwas followed behind him, almost jogging to match his pace.

Hackett fumed as his feet pounded against the deck plating. He had let Colonal Fang aboard in good faith that happen to the girl– Ruby, he corrected himself. He shouldn't have trusted the man. His earlier arguments were still valid, but that didn't mean he was completely heartless. Whatever Fang wanted with Ruby it couldn't be good, and he wouldn't let it happen.

He reached the medical bay in good time, punched the controls and hurried in with Chakwas on his heels. He instantly saw the small group gathered around one of the bio-beds, recognizing Anderson among them, and hurried over.

"...which is completely understandable," came Fang's unmistakable monotone as Hackett grew near. "But we cannot let this go to waste."

"Waste?" the second Intelligence officer said, giving the man an incredulous look. Hackett didn't recognize the face, though he did recognize the rank. "Colonel, your narrow mindedness knows no bounds."

"So... what happens now?" Anderson asked, looking between the two men.

"For starters, you can explain this whole mess," Hackett spoke up, stopping just behind them and giving the second officer a respectful nod. "Director, I wasn't expecting you."

"Admiral, a pleasure, as always," the Director turned, smiling brightly as he shook the Admiral's hand. "Though I wish this was under better circumstances."

"What happened?" Hackett asked, getting straight to the point.

"Well..." the Director sighed, looking back to Ruby who was sitting on the bio-bed, nervously hugging her knees to her chest. "Things got... complicated."

"We are wasting time," Fang said stiffly, making Ruby close in on herself. "We need to bring her in for further testing."

"Over my dead body," Anderson muttered with a barely concealed growl.

"Gentlemen, please," the Director sighed tiredly, stepping between them. "Let me assure you, Lieutenant, I have no intention of taking her. Far from it. I just want what's best."

"And what's best is utilizing this to its fullest potential," Fang almost snarled. "This needs to be studied, not ignored out of sympathy."

"What are you talking about?" Hackett demanded before the Director could retort.

The man sighed. "Well... its best if we show you." He stood back, leaving a lane open towards Chakwas who stood just beside Hackett. "Kid, if you please."

An instant later Chakwas staggered back as a red meteor crashed into her legs, solidifying into Ruby as the girl hid behind her, leaving a trail of rose petals in her path.

Hackett stared, blinking in surprise. It had happened so fast he barely caught it. In less than a second Ruby had sprinted over to Chakwas with a speed that rivaled most biotic charges, becoming little more than a blur in the air. That defiantly wasn't any kind of biotic ability.

The Directer lip's twitched upward. "Simply incredible."

"Fascinating," Fang intoned dryly, turning to his superior. "Which is why we need to bring her in for further examination."

Sighing explosively, the Director turned to him. "Look, we both know what's going to happen in a week. So why don't you take a moment and talk it over with the Admiral, see how long you last."

"I will," the Colonel scowled. "And what about you?"

"I'll do what I came here to do," he replied cooly, looking at Ruby. "Finish the job I started."

-ooo000ooo-

The officer sat beside her with a sigh of contentment, settling onto the bed and stretching. Ruby watched him warily, wishing Chakwas, or at least Anderson, had stayed. To her dismay Fang had dragged both them and the Admiral out of the medical bay to talk about her 'power.'

She swallowed nervously. Just what was happening to her? Why did it have to be her in the first place? First almost burning to death, losing her memory and now this? Superpowers?!

"I hope Fang didn't scare you too much," the Director said softly, looking down at her. "I know he can be a bit of a prick at times."

"He's... creepy," Ruby agreed. She looked up at him. "What does he want with me?"

The man scowled. "Study, obviously. Though with him you never know what that could be." He shrugged. "Maybe dissection, if he gets frustrated enough."

Her eyes widened in horror. "B-but why?"

"The Alliance, hell, the whole galaxy has never seen anything like this before. With abilities like yours the possibilities are endless. If they find a way to replicate them, which I doubt, the tactical advantages they'll provide would change warfare forever. Even if that means killing you," he added darkly. "Barbaric... but I can't blame them. You're the first person with a Semblance they've ever seen."

Her brow furrowed at the unfamiliar word. "A _what_?"

"Nothing, nothing," he said quickly, letting out a chuckle that trailed off in a sad end note. "Just... something I heard once. A long, long time ago."

He sighed deeply, staring forlornly at the floor for a long minute before shaking himself out of his stupor with a rough laugh. "Eh, I'm getting too old for this. I've been the Director of Alliance Intelligence for... ah, what's it been? Twenty, thirty years? Hell, I was there when it was first formed. And all that other stuff I did before... damn, I couldn't leave at a better time." He looked down at Ruby sadly. "I'm sorry, kid."

"A-about what?" Ruby asked, fearfully.

"Fang," he replied grimly. "I'm retiring soon, in less than a week actually. Once I leave, Fang will take over my position. He's been pushing for this for a while. When that happens... there's nothing stopping him from taking you."

Ruby could almost feel her heart stop. "B-but... what would he do to me?"

"Hell if I know." He smiled reassuringly at her. "But that's _if_ , and only _if_ , the Alliance lets him. You've got sympathy on your side, that's always good. Spread the story of the sole survivor and if Fang tries it would be PR hell. But there's something else going for you."

Ruby looked up, eyes hopeful. "What?"

"Me. I still got a week in power, and even after that I'll have some influence." He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into a light embrace. "So long as I'm alive he won't touch you, you got that?"

Relief shot through her and she threw her arms around him, almost crying in relief. The Director only smiled kindly down at her, then frowned.

"By the way, I never caught your name. What was it again?"

"Ruby Rose," she murmured into his side, never noticing how his face twisted in silent anguish. Then he swallowed, settling his features back into one of calm amenity.

"Well, if it's any more comfort, the Admiral is probably giving Fang hell right now. What a way to start a career, huh? That's what happens when you act like an emotionless prick all the time. Oh wait, he _is_ an emotionless prick all the time. My bad."

Ruby couldn't help but giggle.

"But enough about that," he grinned, pulling one of the largest cookies Ruby had ever seen out of nowhere. "You wouldn't happen to like-"

The cookie was gone in a puff of rose petels as Ruby munched happily on her prize. Director Conrad Verner smiled sadly at her, wishing things could have been different. Still, his part in this was complete.

"Also, I hope you don't mind that I have some questions for you. First, you said you can't remember anything before Mindoir, right? Have you had any dreams so far?"

-ooo000ooo-

"And that is why we can't not make a judgement based purely on sentimentality," Fang finished, looking down at the Admiral sitting at his desk. "I've already preformed some preliminary tests, but the results were inconclusive. We need to bring her in for further study."

"So that constitutes you kidnapping her?" Hackett asked angrily, glaring at the man. He could feel Anderson and Chakwas doing the same from the edge of his office. Unfortunately it had no effect. "Because let me assure you, Colonel, if you try anything I'll-"

"Be reasonable, Admiral." Fang said with surprising intensity. "This is unlike anything we've ever seen. She doesn't have a trace of Element Zero in her body, no sign of any technological assistance and yet she can do something incredible. Natural talent? I don't think so."

He met Hackett's eyes. "Admiral, the planet below us is a sure sign that we are still the bottom dog. Mindoir was razed to the ground and our men were powerless to do anything. But some good may still come of it. Miss Rose has a gift, a gift that I refuse to let go to waste. With further study anything is possible. Imagine giving our men the ability to run faster than the speed of sound without the use of eezo. We would be unmatched on the battlefield, able to stop atrocities like this from ever happening again. And the cost? Well, I'm willing to sacrifice the life of one unknown survivor if that's what it takes."

Fang stepped closer, leaning over the desk so he was nose to nose with Hackett. "So much for so little. All I need is your word and we can usher in a new generation of warfare and safety."

Hackett blinked at him, his mind spinning with what he had just heard. Iit struck many cords inside him. Yes, he wanted to stop things like Mindoir and yes he wanted to save lives. But the cost? One girl, alone and afraid, rescued from a burning colony.

So much for so little.

Hackett set his jaw, stood, clenched his fist, and gave his verdict.

-ooo000ooo-

Pale moon light shone down, illuminating the empty street and darkened store fronts. Only the small cafe on the corner was open, its bright windows shining out into the darkness. Its only customer this late at night was the man sitting alone at one of the tables out on the sidewalk.

He was large and heavily muscled, dressed in a black leather vest zipped up to his neck, leaving his arms bare. Black jeans and combat boots covered his legs. His black hair was short and slick, broken only by the red stripe that ran from the top of his left eye over his head. Even at night he still wore his aviator sunglasses, yet somehow was still able to see perfectly. A massive broadsword was strapped across his back, marking him as one of the famed and dreaded Huntsmen.

He scowled, checking his watch. There was still plenty of time to spare, but he wanted to get this done with. Money was scarce and they needed a job. Irritably, he took a sip from the mug of mocha before him, eyeing the steaming cup of tea on the other side of the table.

Just what the hell was taking him so long?

As if fate decided to reward his patience, another man silently emerged from the darkness, seating himself on the other side of the table. He was dressed in much the same fashion, though lacking the sunglasses and carrying a rapier strapped to his belt. His frame was smaller, more like a runner or a dancer. His dyed yellow hair gleamed in the light from the windows.

The first man scoffed, his voice deep and rich. "Took ya long enough, brother."

"I was busy," the other man said, his silver eyes carefully examining his tea. "Vacuo's finest, I presume?"

"Vacuo has a _finest_?"

The man sighed. "Too much to hope for, I guess. Atlas, then?"

"Does it look like ice water to you? Just drink it already, I paid good Lien for that."

Silently, the man took a cautious sip, then nodded at the taste. "Dare I say it, but you actually have some taste, Monty."

Monty only grinned and leaned back in his chair with a long sigh, taking another swig from his mug. They sat in comfortable silence for a minute before Monty leaned forward, planting his hands on the table. "So, what did ya get us?"

His brother paused mid sip, then pulled a small stack of papers from his vest, held together by a paper clip.

"Okay, lets see," Monty murmured, snatching the papers and reading the header. "Hmm... A recovery mission, huh?"

"You heard about that fire last weak?" his brother asked, setting down his tea.

"Yeah. Who hasn't? Poor kid. Probably never thought she'd be burned alive."

"She was a Huntress."

"What?" Monty looked up in surprise. "A _Huntress_ , are you shitting me?"

"Well, Huntress-in-training, actually. The family and friends want the body back."

"Yeah, not gonna happen," Monty sighed, tossing to papers onto the table. "Unless they want ashes. It's probably all that's left by now. Still, easy job, right? Just go in with a jar or something and start digging."

"Not quite." His brother turned a page and pointed. "Witnesses reported men fleeing the scene, carrying what they say was a body bag. As nothing was recovered from the building the family has assumed the worst."

"Again: Fire. Burn. _Ashes_. She's probably all over the place by now."

The blond brother turned another page and pointed at a figure. Monty stared in shock, pulling off his sunglasses and reading the number again, just to be sure he wasn't imagining things. His silver eyes twinkled brightly in the moon light. "Holy shit, that's a lot of zeros!"

"I know. From what I heard she was teammates with some rich heiress. Probably from some company up in Atlas."

Monty slowly looked up to his brother, their silver eyes meeting, and he smiled. "This..." he said breathlessly, shaking his head. "By Oum, this is perfect. Finally, our lucky break! I mean, it's probably just a dead end. But hey, it's worth it. Ashes or not, we're getting payed!"

His brother scowled, snatching the papers back. "You know I hate it when you do that."

"Can't help it," Monty snorted. "I mean, your name is just perfect. ' _Oum_ '. 'By Oum.' 'Oum protect us.' 'Oum bless you.' It's like you have the name of a god!"

"It's not my fault mom had a strange taste in names," Oum grumbled, standing and walking away down the street, leaving his tea behind. "Let's just go."

"Seriously, it's perfect," Monty said, jumping up and following him, slipping on his aviators as he did so. "We're like two peas in a pod. Monty and Oum. Oum and Monty. _Monty Oum:_ The deadliest pair of Huntsmen to roam the world. It's perfect!"

"I can't figure out if it's a gift or a curse that I got all the brains," Oum mused dryly.

"Hey, none of that now. I'm two years older than you, that has to count for something."

"No it doesn't."

"It does and you know it!"

The two brothers continued bickering long into the night, strolling fearlessly into the darkness of the woods that surrounded the city, following a trail that Oum had picked up earlier. The shattered moon hanging above watched them go, floating silently in the night. All in all, just another normal night on the world of Remnant. But not even the Huntsmen could have known of the dreaded eyes watching them from above.


	3. Chapter 3

The bell rang through Malcolm High, loud in the crisp morning air. As the final note died out the school erupted with life as classroom doors sprang open, letting out a horde of tired students into the hallways. Many grumbled about the changes in classes and the unfairness of needing to get up so early. As the quick break between classes ended, the halls quickly emptied as the hundreds of students hurried off to their next lesson.

Set in the middle of London, Malcolm High School was one of hundreds established all around planet Earth. Nothing was special about this particular school, but it was easily accessible to all in the city, and many families sent their unruly kids there.

As the next rotation of classes got underway, a skycar pulled to a stop at the front steps of the school. The passenger door opened and a young teenager got out. She looked around nervously, taking in the imposing metal structure.

Clad in black jeans, combat boots and a red T-shirt, she looked like any normal girl coming to a mundane place like this. The few odd things about her fashion were the black leather jacket she wore. It was old, faded, and a few sizes too big, but if you looked closely you could just make out the faded N7 marking on the chest. The other was a broach clipped to her belt: A stylized silver rose, beautifully carved and shining the early morning light.

The girl looked at the school one last time, apprehension coiling in her gut. She swallowed dryly, then reached into the skycar and pulled out a backpack which she slung over her shoulder. As she walked up the steps, the skycar lifted off the ground and flew off into the sky. She paid it no attention, eager to escape the Alliance Intelligence officer who had driven her there.

She was met at the front door by a smiling principle, easing her worries somewhat. He warmly welcomed her and took the datapad she handed him. After reading it over and talking for a bit he led her through the building towards her new classroom. Class was already in session when they walked in. The girl fought the urge to hide, shrinking into her jacket as the whole room focused on her.

"Everyone, I apologize for the interruption," the Principle said, leading the girl to the front of the classroom. "I would just like to introduce our newest transfer student: Ruby Rose."

"Um... hi..." Ruby waved awkwardly, wishing the ground would swallow her up and spare her from this torture. She never was good with crowds, and being socially awkward didn't help either.

All she got in return were blank stares and yawns.

The Principle coughed awkwardly, then continued. "Miss Rose here is a transfer from... ah..." He paused, looking over the datapad again, frowning when he couldn't find what he was looking for. "Um... where did you say again?"

"Mindoir," Ruby said quietly, bowing her head and swallowing nervously. Alliance Intelligence, more specifically Fang, had drilled her for this, but it was still difficult to explain that you couldn't say anything about yourself because technically you weren't supposed to exist. Fang's orders. Nothing about her past, except for the name of the colony. The not-too subtle hint would be enough to avoid any conversation.

The affect was immediate as the mood in the room tanked. Though it had happened just over a year ago, the pain from the pirate attack on Mindoir was still fresh. Thanks to the many news stations covering the incident, the horrors of the attack were spread all across Alliance space. Fortunately for Ruby, however, they had gushed over the Sole Survivor, saving her from a lot of trouble with Intelligence. Still, it brought a lot of publicity neither Intelligence or the Alliance wanted, considering her questionable origins.

Her admission wasn't technically a lie, but it served its purpose.

The Principle's smile dropped as he stammered. "Oh... I-I'm sorry. I imagine that would be... difficult to remember."

Ruby nodded, wishing she could just bury herself in Anderson's jacket and never come out. The class was watching her with a new interest and she didn't like it. It felt like she was under a microscope and the whole world was looking down on her. Not a pleasant feeling.

"Well, we're happy to have you, Miss Rose," the Principle said at last, gesturing to an empty seat at the back. "Please, have a seat."

Ducking her head Ruby hurried past the rows of students, wanting nothing more than to just sit and fade away into the background. But before she could, the Principle, who was looking over the datapad again, spoke up. "Miss Rose? Why does it say you're not allowed to make _firearms_ in shop class?"

-ooo000ooo-

The world rushed past, details becoming a blur of color as Ruby turned the corner and onto the final stretch. Rose petals trailed behind her like the tail of a comet. She was pushing her speed to the max, fighting to beat the clock.

With one finally push she blasted through the finish line and fell to her knees panting. A moment later her slipstream caught up with her, the cool, rose scented air refreshing her as it rushed past.

"Forty seconds," a scientist called from the edge of the track.

Ruby didn't bother responding, too focused with refilling her burning lungs.

Five kilometers, forty seconds. A new record on her part.

She dry swallowed, then resumed panting, glaring over to the side of the running track. A team of black suited Alliance Intelligence Officers and scientists stood on the outskirts, pouring over notes they had taken on her performance. They didn't even bother checking up on her and all turned their backs, discussing amongst themselves.

Ruby ignored them and pushed herself to her feet with a grunt. It had been like this for almost a year. The endless tests, examinations and oh so many laps. It was pointless, considering almost nothing came from them. For whatever reason, the mysteries of her power still refused to reveal themselves. But it wasn't a complete waste of time on her part. One of the few things had found out through passive observation was that her speed acted like a muscle. The more she pushed her limits the harder and faster she could go. Inadvertently, the constant tests and exercise had boosted her abilities drastically, far beyond what they were before.

A bottle of water was suddenly thrust into her field of vision. Ruby blinked at it, then followed the arm holding it back up to a smiling Doctor Chakwas. "Fifty seconds. Good job."

Ruby nodded gratefully, then grabbed it and took a long drink, sighing in relief as the cool water ran down her throat.

She was completely exhausted. Now all she wanted was to go home and sleep.

It had been a long week. Starting at Malcolm, dealing with the stress of hiding her origins and now this. Why did her life have to be so complicated?

After she changed out of her running gear and back into her usual clothes, she and Chakwas left the Alliance training facility based on the outskirts of London. As she clambered into their skycar parked out front, Ruby stared back at the imposing grey building.

Today had been another of her _examinations_ , as the now _Director_ Fang like to call them. A way for Intelligence to monitor her speed and observe how she much was improving. Ruby didn't like it, if only because of the man who set them up. She still didn't trust Fang after he had tried to take her away almost a year ago. But true to his word, the former Director Verner had done his best to keep her out of his hands, sending Fang away on another assignment before things turned ugly.

Even then, the Colonel had sported a fine black eye for weeks afterwards, courtesy of an enraged Admiral after the word 'experimentation' was brought up.

But Fang didn't stop. After the Verner left he did everything he could to get Ruby under some sort of observation to try and figure out her abilities. Worse yet, some of the higher ups in the Alliance had heard of her supernatural power. The pressure was on to hand Ruby over to Intelligence so that some good might come of the Mindoir attack.

Hackett, Anderson and Chakwas fought for all their worth to keep Ruby out of their hands, but everyone agreed that something had to be done. A chance like this was too good to pass up, even if it was just for one girl.

Soon an agreement was reached, one that benefited both sides. Ruby would live with Chakwas in London and submit herself to testing every two weeks, or whenever Intelligence had a new test they wanted to run. To this day they had found nothing. Her speed simply existed, without any scientific explanation or any clues whatsoever. It frustrated everyone to no end, but thankfully not enough to turn her into a cadaver.

As the skycar lifted off the ground, Ruby leaned against the window and sighed. It had been more than a year now since she had been found on Mindoir.

Had it really been that long? Living in London was a strange experience for some reason. Chakwas had become a surrogate mother for her during that time, always looking out for her, and Ruby loved her for it. For all intents and purposes, this was home...

...But it just _wasn't_ home.

Nothing could fill the void in her heart, the part that yearned for something else. A deep ache in her chest whenever the topic came up. She hoped, as feeble a chance as it was, that she missed her lost family. Her memory might be gone, but she could never truly forget them. They had to be out there somewhere. They might even be looking for her right now.

But she couldn't lose hope. That was one thing Chakwas always told her.

Ruby forlornly stared out the window as the towering skyscrapers of the city flew past. Her family had to be out there somewhere. She just had to find them.

-ooo000ooo-

Ruby jolted awake with a gasp. In the distance thunder boomed and lightning flashed across the sky. A quick look at the clock on her bedroom nightstand confirmed that it was still the middle of the night. Her window was dark with the coming thunderstorm, but none of that mattered as she threw off her blankets and stood in the middle of her room.

She had seen it. Her dream had been all too real. She had been in a clearing. Wolves or something had surrounded her, howling for her flesh... and she had fought them.

Ruby stared her hands with wonder. The rush, the adrenaline, the _metal_... it had all felt so real beneath her fingers.

And like that, the dream became a reality.

Ruby ran around her bedroom, clawing at the weapon posters that covered the walls. She ripped them off, the thunder outside covering any noise she made as she began to arrange them on the ground. Their white backs were covered in sketches, schematics she had drawn up over the many months. After arranging them carefully, she stood back and examined her work.

Arranged together, they formed the rough draft of a beautiful masterpiece. A long sniper rifle/scythe hybrid. Her mouth watered at the sight. She had seen it hundreds of times before in her dreams, almost as if the very idea was calling to her from the depths of her mind.

Could this be something from her past? It was impossible to tell. But the weapon... Crescent Rose, called to her.

Ruby snorted at the thought. Sure she was a weapons nerd, but this was crazy. She hadn't even built the thing and already she was naming it... and yet it felt so right.

Of course, Chakwas had forbidden weapons of any kind in the apartment and she'd probably have a fit if she saw these and learned what Ruby was planning. But they never said anything about building _parts_ in shop class.

Grinning, Ruby went over to her bed and pushed aside the mattress to reveal her hidden lockbox. Inside she went through the parts she had already forged, grinning all the while as she took inventory.

And yet, something was missing.

She went back to the plans and poured over them, reviewing what she had seen in her dream. This might very well be a part of her past. But what did that mean for her? Just what kind of past did she have to make something like this? It wasn't even finished yet and already she was loving this piece of machinery like her own flesh and blood.

Still, it was comforting. She did have a past somewhere... if faint and hazy.

Thunder boomed in the distance as she worked, making plans for the following day. Crescent Rose would be born, one way or another.

-ooo000ooo-

"I don't like this."

"You don't have to like it, Captain. It has to be done."

Admiral Hackett's jaw tightened at Colonel Fang's words. Ruby was certainly lucky to have a friend like Anderson. She had even come to grow on him as well. It was hard not to like the young, excitable teen. Even then, he didn't like Fang's plan either.

"She deserves a choice," Anderson continued angrily as he followed beside them.

"And she will have one," Fang said, his steps perfectly even as he walked.

"And when she gives you an answer you don't want?"

Fang's brow furrowed slightly. "We'll cross that bridge _if_ we come to it."

Anderson looked ready to continue his verbal assault, but a quick look from the Admiral cut him short. This wasn't the time or place for it. Ruby was still considered a top secret asset, after all. Though personally he agreed with the Captain.

Fang could be rather unpredictable in situations like this, especially considering the stakes involved. The very future of warfare was within their grasp, and the only thing holding them back was the morals of men.

Unfortunately for Ruby, Fang was far from a saint.

From the way he was talking, Hackett was under the impression that Fang would have Ruby clapped in irons and in his program before the sun had set, her choice be damned.

Not if he had anything to say about it.

Together the three men journeyed through the plain corridors of the apartment complex. The sight of uniformed officers, one an Admiral no less, earned many stunned and confused looks from the various inhabitants. But they easily ignored the stares and hurried up to an apartment on the top floor. When they arrived, Anderson knocked on the door and stepped back.

A few seconds later the door hissed open, revealing Doctor Karin Chakwas. She visibly brightened as she saw them. "Admiral. Captain Anderson," she said politely. Then she saw the third member of their party and scowled. "Colonel Fang."

"A pleasure," Fang said, ignoring her dirty look as he stepped past her into the apartment. He glanced around, searching for his person of interest. "Where is Rose?"

"At school," Chakwas replied tightly. She cast Anderson a worried look. The Captain's mouth tightened, but otherwise he revealed nothing.

Hackett tactfully squeezed between them, giving Chakwas a reassuring look as he entered and headed for the living room. "When will she be back, Doctor?"

She shot another look at Fang, who was examining one of the many pictures on the wall. "Soon."

"In two minutes," the Colonel said. "Classes were dismissed fifteen minutes ago and transit time via skycar is ten."

Chakwas visibly bristled at his _very_ accurate assessment. "You just can't leave her alone, can't you?"

"No. She's too important to let wander around alone."

They gathered in the living room. Light from the late afternoon sun shone through the glass doors leading to small deck outside, commanding a fantastic view of the London skyline. As Hackett eased himself into a couch set against the wall, he looked around curiously. This was the first time he ever been able to visit Ruby at home.

The place was clean and orderly, or at least, the parts of it he could see anyway. Pictures covered the walls, happy memories of the pair who lived here. Hackett's lips twisted twisted upward slightly. They had certainly made the right choice with Ruby's caretaker.

"Alright. What's this about?" Chakwas said, crossing her arms and not even trying to hide the glare she was sending at Fang.

"Technicalities, Doctor," the Colonel said. "We've reached the deadline of our agreement."

Her eyes widened. "But she only turned eighteen yesterday!"

"I am aware of that. And it's better if we deal with this as soon as possible."

"You're not taking her," Chakwas snarled, surprising Hackett. He'd never known her to get this protective. "That girl is a daughter to me. If she chooses to enlist, which I highly doubt, I won't let the likes of you get your hands on her."

Fang glanced over at Hackett who grimaced under his scrutiny. "The decision has already been made, Doctor. But let me assure you, it will be her choice."

"And if she doesn't choose you?" asked Anderson, scowling.

"Again, Captain, we'll figure something out. I'm not a complete fool. I wouldn't alienate the newest tactical advantage we have."

Hackett scowled again. That was the problem with Fang, only seeing things as assets and liabilities, never caring about the person behind them. To him, Ruby Rose was nothing more than a weapon. A very powerful weapon at that, if her speed scores and potential were anything to go on. Of course turning her into a killing machine would be the first thing to cross the Colonel's mind. It didn't help that they couldn't discover how her powers worked or how to replicate them. If that happened, at least Ruby wouldn't be Fang's only target.

"She's too young," Chakwas insisted.

"She's eighteen, the usual recruitment age. Unless I'm mistaken, Admiral?"

"You are correct," Hackett growled reluctantly.

"In that case, it's her choice if she wishes to enlist. We'll simply take a more hands on approach to her training, considering her abilities."

"That's-"

The sound of the front door opening cut them off, followed by hurried footsteps rushing into the small kitchen. Ruby was home early then, and she couldn't have come at a worst possible time.

"Ruby," Chakwas called out. "There's-"

"Sorrycan'ttalknowgotanideagottagobye!" The all too familiar voice shouted as red streak suddenly raced out of the kitchen and into one of the bedrooms and locking the door. The adults blinked in surprise amidst a cloud of dissipating rose petals.

Chakwas sighed, waving the petals away. "Ruby! What did I say? No running in the house!"

"Sorry!" came the muffled reply. "Really excited here! No time!"

"Not even for old friends?" Anderson called out with a smile.

There was a short pause before the door sprang open Ruby Rose rushed out, wrapped her arms around Anderson. Hackett looked on, the smallest of smiles tugging at his lip as Anderson hugged her back. The two had bonded over the years since her rescue from Mindoir with Anderson becoming more of a surrogate father than a friend. It certainly showed.

Even at eighteen, Ruby was just as bright as he remembered. She was still a little excitable, if her death grip on Anderson as she babbled over the day's events was any indication. The Captain merely nodded along with her tales, a look of calm contentment on his face.

Though the scene was rather endearing, they had a job to do.

He stood from the couch, instantly gaining everyone's attention. "Ruby Rose."

Ruby blinked at him, letting go of the Captain. "Uh, Admiral Hackett? What are you doing here?"

"Business, I'm afraid," Fang said, stepping forward, even as Ruby took a step back from the bane of her existence.

She swallowed nervously, giving him the tiniest of waves. "Umm... hello, Colonel. Good to see you... I guess."

"A pleasure, as always." The Colonel inclined his head, face expressionless. "But enough with the pleasantries. I take it you are no doubt aware that your abilities have placed us in a rather complicated position. The Alliance is looking for an edge over our rivals and enemies. Supernatural or not, a talent like yours shouldn't go to waste, not when you can do so much more."

He went on to explain what had happened over the years and how investigation into her powers had ended with failure. She was the only one of her kind, which was why the Alliance was offering a chance no one had ever been given before.

Throughout it all, Ruby stood oddly still, listened quietly, though her face betrayed the deep conflict inside her.

"I understand this is a hard choice," said Fang. "Which was why we waited until you were eighteen. For what it's worth, you have good friends. Had it been my choice we would have had you after Mindoir." He gave Hackett an annoyed look, calmly ignoring the glares they directed at him. "But now the Alliance needs your answer. You may not know this, but you-"

"I'll do it."

Fang actually blinked in surprise. But that was nothing compared to Chakwas' incredulous expression. Even Hackett had trouble hiding his shook. But there was no denying the certainty in Ruby's expression.

"Why?" Anderson asked softly, resting a hand on her shoulder. "This isn't going to be easy, you that right?"

"I know," said Ruby, smiling up at him. "But... I feel that I have the best chance of finding my family if I do this. I mean, Anderson, you told all those stories. I might get lucky... or they might find me. Who knows?"

"The chances of that are highly unlikely," said Fang. "As is the likelihood they exist at all."

"They're out there," said Ruby firmly, glaring at him. "I know it. And... you said it yourself; I'm special. I have a gift. And if I can use it to protect those who can't protect themselves then I _will_ do it. I'm not going to sit around and let people suffer, not when I can do something to help." She blinked and Hackett saw the beginning of a tear fall from the corner of her eye. "I won't let there be another Mindoir."

"Noble," Fang said dryly as he turned to Hackett. "Admiral, do you find her decision acceptable?"

No... No he didn't. Ruby had no idea what she was getting into. But it was her choice, and he would go along with it, if only to keep her safe. Alliance Intelligence headed by Fang was not something you wanted as an enemy. He gave a stiff nod.

"Good. Miss Rose, you leave tomorrow. Any questions?"

Ruby hesitated for a moment, then rushed into her room, emerging a moment later with a... _giant scythe_. Hackett could do nothing but blink dumbly in surprise. The thing was twice her size and its blade gleamed in the afternoon light. But as he looked closer with wide eyes, he noticed that the upper assembly had a number of components that belonged on a sniper rifle. A true bastard of a weapon, yet it contained an elegant beauty in its design.

"Can I bring this with me?" Ruby asked sheepishly.

It took only a second for Mount Chakwas to erupt, furious at the mere idea that Ruby had both constructed and hid a very dangerous and experimental weapon under her roof, Hackett only sighed.

A girl with superpowers and a giant scythe being trained by a group of killers. What could _possibly_ go wrong?

-ooo000ooo-

 **To: CCTSupportValeDistrict**

 **From: Supervisor Nixion T.**

 **Rogue,**

 **What the hell is going on?**

 **I understand that The Grimm hit one of our broadcast towers in the outer reaches, but there is no excuse for this. We can rebuild after a single bombing, but our reputation? We might as well throw that out the window with what you're doing.**

 **Even if the CCT, a land based, tight band system, had satellites in orbit we can't reach out that far. And don't even try to tell me you're looking for little green men. You'll be laughed out of your position and don't expect me to save you.**

 **I'll tell you this only once: STOP IT.**

 **Also, the General System Maintenance Algorithm has been picking up multiple 'Error 010' from an unknown address. This suggests that there might be an unregistered broadcast tower somewhere. Hire some Huntsmen and deal with it. We don't want a repeat of the Atlas incident.**

 **Respectfully,**

 **Nixion**

 **P.S. Trace that 010 for me, will you? The address has been to active to be a fluke.**


	4. Chapter 4

The midday sun shone down, scorching his shaved head, but First Lieutenant John Shepard refused to let it bother him. Standing at attention with the rest of the N7 trainees was not a place for complaining, not with the bane of their existence this close by. Colonel Attila was already pissed off with the day's events. He'd had a full day of training, otherwise known as refined torture, planned out for the trainees and boy was it gonna be _fun_.

Then a miracle happened.

Admiral freakin' Hackett himself was stopping by for a visit. That of course entitled full dress uniform and standing at parade attention in the training yard.

But this was Attila, and he never did anything halfway. The Admiral was showing up around 1000 hours, so they'd been standing here since 0600 hours this morning. But no one dared breathe a word of complaint.

It was an impressive sight to be sure. The 74 N7 recruits standing in perfect formation with the trainers and Attila at their head. There was only one thing out of place: The single empty spot in Alpha Squad. There were supposed to be 75 of them, but the last trainee hadn't been there for initiation, nor for the long month that followed. Shepard really hoped this visit would shed some light on their missing teammate. He hated only having a four man squad.

Finally, the Admiral's shuttle flew overhead, landing in a cloud of dust before the assembly.

The entire parade yard saluted sharply as he strode out, followed by a woman in a black uniform. Definitely Alliance Intelligence. She was just shy of six feet in height, thin, but toned. Her face was surprisingly youthful, and she couldn't have been more than twenty. Her short black hair turned red near the tips, perfectly framing her face. Silver eyes took in the assembly like a hawk. She also had a long gun case strapped across her back.

Strange. Now what was a good looking gal like that doing with Intelligence?

"Admiral," said Attila respectfully, pulling Shepard out of his thoughts. His raspy voice sent shivers down his back. It was the same voice that almost killed them on a daily basis, after all.

"Colonel," Admiral Hackett replied curtly, stopping before him. He gestured to the woman beside him. "This is Corporal Ruby Rose."

She snapped to attention, giving Attila a crisp salute. "Sir!"

Attila gave her a long look, clearly not impressed. "I take it this is number 200 then?"

Hackett nodded. "You are correct. Rose was withheld from the initiation due to her... particular abilities."

Well that answered that question, but opened up another. Was she a biotic? Why would that make a difference? Oh well, at least their squad was full now.

"I don't give a damn," Attila growled. "I run this program, and I take only the best. I don't care if she can pull a rabbit out of a fucking hat; if she can't fight up to my standards then she doesn't belong here."

To Shepard's surprise, Hackett gave a small smirk. "Let me assure you, Colonel, Rose can fight beyond what any of us first believed. Alliance Intelligence has been training her personally in the use of her abilities. They're asking you to take her to the next step."

The Colonel gave Rose a dubious glare. She visibly blanched, clearly not used to the vicious nature directed at her. "Don't tell me she's a fucking super biotic. I have enough of those freaks to deal with."

"Even better."

"Fucking perfect," the Colonel spat, stepping back and gesturing down the yard to where a number of dummies were stuck in the ground, half a kilometer away. "Alright, maggot, let's see what you got. Make it fast. We're wasting daylight because of you."

Rose swallowed, glancing questioningly at Admiral Hackett. He nodded slowly. Rose visibly brightened as she dropped the case, ripped it open and pulled out one of the strangest weapons Shepard had ever seen. It looked like an overly large red and black sniper rifle, but it seemed too big even for that. She held it ready in her hands, almost caressing the metal. Then to Shepard's astonishment, the whole thing unfolded, hidden mechanisms working in tandem until she held a giant, mechanical scythe in her hands. Even Attila seemed surprised by the transformation.

She twirled the massive weapon with practiced ease. How that was possible he had no idea. The thing was twice her size!

Then she was gone, vanishing in a burst of rose petals. It was almost hilarious how every head in the yard snapped to the side, following the crimson blur as it descended on the dummies. The scythe flashed in the light, cutting them to ribbons. Before anyone could blink, there was a thunderous boom of a sniper as the monstrous weapon fired, the recoil launching Rose back toward them. She stopped dead before the Admiral, posed more like a dancer than a soldier with the scythe elegantly held behind her back. Then the slipstream caught up with her, showering them with drifting rose petals.

And it had all taken less than five seconds.

Shepard fought to keep the amazed grin off his face. Attila, for the first time in forever, looked dumbfounded. Finally, after a minute of staring he slowly pointed to Rose, then over to Shepard. "You. Form up with Alpha." Then he turned to Hackett. "And you can explain just what the fuck you gave me."

Hackett nodded, and then addressed the whole group. "You are dismissed until further notice. Alpha, stand by."

"She's hot."

Shepard rolled his eyes as the assembly scattered, relishing in the free time the Admiral had given them. Behind him, Monica, Alpha's assault specialist grinned lecherously, jumping on the spot as she tried to get the blood flowing to her legs again.

"Ah, give it a rest. You'll scare her off." Vincent, the third member of their merry band rumbled in his deep baritone beside her. The last member of Alpha, Jayson, fell into place beside him.

"Settle down, people," said Shepard, watching as Rose folded up her scythe and made her way over. "Let's set a good impression here."

"Good impression? Us?" Jayson scoffed. "Don't make me laugh."

"Shut up, Jay."

Thus, Alpha team stood ready to greet the new arrival as she stopped before them, giving a textbook salute. "Sir, Second Lieutenant Rose reporting for duty."

"Actually that line goes to the Colonel," Shepard replied with a smirk. "He owns your ass now. Get used to it."

"I-uh," she floundered for a moment, then steadied herself. "Understood sir."

"And cut it out with the 'sirs.' Again, it goes to the Colonel."

"So what do I call you then? ' _Team leader_ '?" Rose asked hesitantly.

"Fucking asshole, more like it," Jayson muttered. Vincent causally slapped him upside the head. "Oi!"

"Shepard will do just fine," he replied, ignoring the brawl brewing behind him. "We're a team. Rank doesn't matter with us. We're one unit, with one goal and one purpose. The big trouble is fitting you in. So, what sort of hell has Intelligence put you through to get here? And just what the hell did you pull off back there?"

"Classified," Rose replied instantly. She leaned to the side and looked past him, wincing. "Are they gonna be alright?"

Shepard sighed, hearing the grunts and curses, the usual sounds of Jayson caught in a headlock. "They should be fine."

"He's turning blue."

"He'll live." Shepard extended a hand for shaking. When she took it, he gripped her hard, pulling her in close. Rudy tensed, but otherwise didn't fight it as he growled in her ear. "I won't lie to you, Rose, this isn't gonna be easy. But one thing I want you to remember is that we're a _team_. I don't care what kind of skill set you have with that cleaver of yours, we stick together. None of this lone wolf business with us, or I guaranty no one will even look for your body. That being said; _we stick together._ We take care of each other. Family in everything but blood. Trust is everything to us, and we're willing to offer you a chance. You break that trust, and there won't be enough of you left to bury. Understood?"

Silver eyes met his gaze evenly without a hint of fear. "I understand... _sir_."

Shepard gave her a genuine smile, ignoring the small breach in his protocol and released her, only to drag her into the team huddle. "Ruby Rose, welcome to Alpha team."

-ooo000ooo-

-Years later-

Shouts and cheers drifted out into the open street, warding off many a potential customer. But the staff of the 'Duncan Punkin' already had their hands full.

Glasses were raised into the air as the fully minted N7s toasted each other with wild cheers. They had made it through hell together, and now was the time to celebrate. The beer flowed like water, shots were passed out without tab and no one even dared mention Attila for fear his ghost would somehow ruin their party. Not that he was dead, but that man seemed to have eyes everywhere.

It was late into the night when the golden boy of the program vaulted onto the bar, scattering drinks everywhere as he raised his glass high. His steadiness gave testament to his powerful liver.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Shepard shouted, his grin reaching from ear to ear. "Friends, comrades, killers and assholes alike! Today marks a most _special_ time in our lives. Today, we are _free_ from the dreaded Attila the hun-hun!"

The crowd cheered.

"But it was not without sacrifice," he said, growing suddenly somber. "We started out seventy five strong. Look around. There's only half of us left. Some dropped out, others were kicked... and still others died in the line of duty. Even though they are not here with us today, I know they celebrate with us because we are finally FUCKING N7s!"

More wild cheers met his proclamation. Still grinning, Shepard took a long swig from his glass before calming the crowd with a raised hand. "It wasn't easy, but here we are. And for some, it's a damn miracle they made it. I'm thinking of one person in particular: Raise your glasses for Ruby Rose!"

The shouts grew in volume as the attention shifted to the silver eyed woman in the middle of the congregation. Her eyes widened in surprise, but she was bundled off by her friends before she could protest and quickly found herself standing next to Shepard on the bar. Feeling every eye in the place on her, she waved wildly, grinning all the while.

"Out of all of us, our little Rosebud is something else," Shepard continued proudly, throwing an arm around her shoulders and laughing as she blushed at the old nickname. "If you remember when we first started, Attila promised us all that he would break us. Mold us into his unstoppable killing machines, merciless and deadly. I dare say he broke just about all of us. But not our little Ruby. Sure, she bent at her first kill, but she held on. Throughout all our training, all the live missions, I never once saw her break. The only one with a shred of mercy among us. Never once did I see her pull the trigger on a surrendering enemy, and she offered them so many chances that we cursed her name." He looked down at her, smiling proudly. "But right now, I know that she's the strongest one here. She held onto her convictions no matter what, even through Attila. And sure he punished all of us for it... But personally, I never minded the extra laps or drills. Strength like that should never be ignored."

"If only she had the strength to fess up already!" Monica yelled from the back. The crowd roared in laughter.

"For the last time!" Ruby screeched, face burning with embarrassment. "I'm not gay!"

"She's right," Vincent piped up. "It's Shepard she lusts for!" He deftly dodged the glass thrown at him with a laugh.

"Shut up!" Ruby screamed, her murderous glare undermined by her furious blush.

"She's blushing! _It's true_!"

Snarling, she tried to grab Shepard's glass, but he raised it again, far out of her reach. "I know most of you ship off tonight, so we have to cut this short," he continued. "But I just want you all to know, I couldn't ask for a better team... a better family. And that's what we are: Brothers and sisters in everything but blood. It has been a great honor to know each and every single one of you. Heartless assholes you may be, you're the best family anyone could ask for."

He raised his glass and everyone followed suit in toast, then downed the last drops.

"Alpha team, we get our grad tattoos tomorrow, so say your goodbyes. We might not see each other again for a very long time," Shepard called over the noise, hoping down from the bar, pulling Ruby along with him.

Ruby mingled with the people she had come to care about these past few years, laughing and cheering along with them. For the first time in long time she was happy. They'd gone through hell and back together. She'd changed over that time, but for the better. After years of hard training she could proudly say that she was a soldier now, and a damn good one at that. That was something worth celebrating.

When at last the party was over, she and the rest of Alpha headed off to their hotel, happy with each others company. They talked and laughed, wondering what adventures might await them. Of course, with the Crimson Reaper with them, anything could happen.

It was a night Ruby remembered with perfectly clarity.

Shepard had been right. Only it would be the _last_ time they saw each other again. Their last night together, never knowing what awaited them in the morning.


	5. Chapter 5

Smoke wafted up from the ruins of the cafe, blown apart by a gunship from on high, clogging the air with the foul stench of smoke and burned meat. But all of it, the distant gun shots, the pirates, even the whole invasion ceased to exist.

It was peaceful.

Nothing on the outside mattered as Ruby knelt in the ashes, her armor bloodied. Crescent Rose stood abandoned nearby, its blade drenched in crimson next to the broken body of Shepard. He trembled feebly, his breath coming in short, painful gasps. His armor was utterly destroyed, fused to the flesh underneath by the explosion. One of his legs was gone and the other was hanging on by a thread. Miraculously, his face remained untouched, his cold blue eyes staring up into space.

He gasped, stiffening against another wave of agony.

"Just hang on," Ruby whispered, cradling his head in her lap. She wouldn't cry. Not here, not in front of him. "I'm going to get you out of here."

"Hang on?... To what?" he gasped, too weak to even laugh at his own joke. Then he stilled, his eyes coming into focus as he stared at her. "I'm dying."

"No." Ruby shook her head vehemently, eyes beginning to water. "No. No you're not. I'll-"

"Ruby," Shepard said softly, the single word silencing her. He blinked, the action slow and tired. "Please... don't lie to yourself... It doesn't suit you."

Shepard swallowed, mustering what strength was left in his broken body and gently caressed her cheek with a bloody hand. "We're family," he gasped. "In everything but blood... I never had a family back on Earth. Growing up on the streets... you didn't make many friends who wouldn't stab you in the back."

He looked deep into her eyes. "All our years with Alpha... they were the best friends I ever had. We were family... But you?... you're the sister I never had."

A shiver ran down his frame, his breath slowly fading. "Please... don't loose yourself... I'm a heartless bastard... the galaxy could do without me... But you? Our little Rosebud?... _Never_. Stop. Being. You."

He gently wiped away one of the tears that ran down her cheek. "If there ever was a hero in this galaxy... its you. I... I..."

Shepard gasped weakly, looking up into the sky. The Alliance fleet was landing. Reinforcements were arriving. But too little, too late.

"I'm tired of fighting," he whispered, looking up at Ruby one last time. "Alpha and I will be waiting at the bar... when your time comes... I'm buying..."

Then his eyes closed and his hand dropped from her cheek as he breathed his last, dying breath in her arms.

-ooo000ooo-

The stench of blood hit her nose, making Doctor Karin Chakwas wrinkle her nose in disgust. The aftermath of any battle was never a pleasant place to be. From the smell alone she half expected a bloody massacre, but as she stepped out of the shuttle and into the plaza, the surroundings just didn't match up with the smell.

Men, women, and children filled the area, leaning against the walls with dazed looks on their faces or kneeling beside people laid out on stretchers. Alliance personnel rushed about, carrying medical supplies or carrying in more wounded refugees.

Looking around, she was honestly amazed that so many had survived. Elysium hadn't been ready in the slightest. The attack had come early in the morning, overwhelming the Alliance fleets in orbit and raining down shuttles in the hundreds onto the defenseless planet below.

It had all seemed hopeless. But when the Alliance 3rd Fleet stormed in and drove off the blockade, something incredible came from the surface: The all-clear signal.

The Brass couldn't believe it until they heard the story. Colonists said that a lone N7 had held the line, keeping the enemy at bay long enough to let them flee to safety. They said she was like an angel... or the grim reaper himself. She would appear in a burst of rose petals, rending her enemies apart with a giant scythe and a roar of pure fury before vanishing as quickly as she'd come.

She had been ruthless, purging the colony of all hostiles.

The stories were beginning to circulate around the fleet and speculation ran rampant about who or what this mysterious N7 was. More importantly, her apparent super speed was slowly becoming public knowledge among those who had seen her and people were starting to ask questions.

For the ones who knew of Ruby's existence, this was one giant powder keg ready to blow. Questions need to be answered and leaks sealed before word of their 'super soldier' could spread. Intelligence believed that if they got Ruby off planet they could contain the situation.

If they could find her, that is. Ruby had dropped off the radar shortly after the threat had passed and they hadn't been able to locate her, nor could they get in touch with N7 Alpha Team.

Alliance Intelligence was rushing to contain the situation, but word of Ruby was already leaking out. Everyone seemed to know about the Savior of Elysium and her strange ability, not to mention her massive weapon.

They just needed to find her, which was why Chakwas had been called in. Given Ruby's MIA status, Intelligence was questioning her mental state in light of the attack. It was ridiculous, but they weren't taking any chances. If that was the case, she was best person to get through to Ruby.

But as she was wandered through the cramped streets, Chakwas felt her heart go out to the rows of wounded civilians in the streets. There were just so many, and here she was, a Doctor, walking away. It felt wrong, but she had her orders. Others were already tending to them, which eased her conscience somewhat.

She wandered through the ruined streets for a while, searching where she could. Eventually she stumbled upon a squad of the newly christened N7s, who only just yesterday had been celebrating their achievement. Now they were beaten and bloodied, but victorious, even if their own contribution had been forgotten in the face of Ruby's role in the battle.

They converged upon her, offering looks of sympathy and making Karin fear the worst. "She's not... dead, is she?"

They shook their heads, faces grave, not exactly easing her worries. Without another word they turned away, heading deeper into the ruined city. Chakwas hurried along behind them, struggling to keep up with their powerful strides.

A few minutes later they had left the crowds behind and were moving into the more war torn areas of the city, blocked off by dozens of black armored marines.

Only then did she realize where the smell was coming from. Dozens, if not hundreds of corpses filled the streets, missing limbs or cleanly bisected by a massive blade.

The carnage left her sick and dumbfounded. This couldn't have been Ruby... could it?

They carried on through the mass graveyard, the death toll reaching into the thousands until they finally came to the main plaza. Bodies in the hundreds were scattered around, all in various states of dismemberment.

It was a grizzly scene and she had to fight to keep her lunch down. Unperturbed, the N7s continued on, moving through the carnage with barely a sideways glace, heading towards a burned-out building on the far edge of the plaza. It appeared to have been blown apart from the inside out by a massive explosion, blowing off the roof. Smoke was still rising from the rubble. But through one of the shattered windows, Chakwas could see a lone figure kneeling in the ashes, a massive red and black scythe stuck in the ground beside her. Blood dripped from the handle onto the figure below, her black Onyx armor stained with crimson. She was unnaturally still, appearing to be just another corpse.

 _Ruby._

Chakwas rushed forward without a second thought, forsaking her escort entirely and hurried inside, falling to her knees beside her charge. Ruby didn't even twitch, staring down at the broken body, cradling his head in her lap. Her silver eyes, once so full of life and energy were as dead as the bodies outside.

"They're gone."

The words sent a chill down Karin's spine. They were cold and emotionless, a far cry from the woman she knew, even in the worst of situations.

Slowly, Ruby looked up.

"They're gone," she repeated, mechanically turning to look at Chakwas. The Doctor couldn't help but shiver as the dead, silver orbs met hers. "They're dead... gone..."

Her lower lip trembled. It was little more than a twitch, but Karin saw it none the less and finally understood.

Ignoring the blood covering her armor, Chakwas reached out and hugged Ruby as tightly as she could, trying to convey all her love for the little girl she knew through the embrace.

Ruby stared blankly at her. Then her lower lip started to tremble and she wrapped her arms around her surrogate mother as a ragged sob racked her frame.

Chakwas felt her own eyes water, but didn't let go, holding the broken N7 as she cried bitterly.

-ooo000ooo-

"Containment has been breached." Colonel Fang paced back and forth, his face tight.

"So I've heard. But I don't see what the issue is," Admiral Hackett said. He had never heard Fang this irritated before. His office aboard his flagship, the dreadnought _Everest_ , was comfortable enough for meeting like this. Only at times like this he wished it was a bit bigger, if only to put distance between himself and the enraged Colonel.

"The _issue_?" Fang hissed, whirring around to face him. "Need I remind you what Rose represents for us? She is our edge against the other races. Supernatural power aside, she is the one weapon they don't, and possibly never will have! She is-"

"A hero," Hackett interrupted, throwing a datapad on his desk showing the latest news story with blurry picture of Rose in mid-combat. "Yes, your precious secret has been leaked, but I can't think of a better way for it to get out. First impressions are everything, and Rose just saved an entire colony."

"Perhaps," Fang said tightly. "But at what cost? One way or another we've lost her."

He just might be right. Who knew how the Citadel Council would react when they heard the news? "I'm sure a compromise can be reached."

Fang's lips twisted in a snarl. "Really? You _really_ think that?"

"I do," the Admiral said tightly. "You've said it yourself; her power has no trace. If the Council goes looking, they'll find the same thing we did: Nothing."

"It's not the Council I'm worried about."

Hackett paused, the admission catching him off guard before he composed himself. "Then who?"

Fang sighed deeply, stopping and leaning heavily on the desk.

"We don't know," he admitted at length.

The Admiral quirked an eyebrow. "You, Alliance Intelligence, don't know?"

Fang bristled, but didn't rise to the bait. "You should be scared, Admiral. I am, even if I don't show it."

"Why?"

"Because of Verner." Fang pushed off the desk and resumed pacing. "Tell me, Admiral, what do you know about our late Director?"

"Not much," Hackett replied. "He was with the Intelligence Division when it first formed, wasn't he?"

"Close. He _made_ it."

He actually smirked at Hackett's stunned expression before turning grim once again. "I don't know what to tell you, Admiral, but this whole situation has been rigged from the start. Rose appearing on Mindoir was just the start of it."

He stopped suddenly, fixing him with a hard look. "I hope you understand that what I tell you here does not leave this room."

Hackett nodded slowly, agreeing to his terms.

-ooo000ooo-

Numb. That was all she could feel.

Shepard... Vincent... Jayson... even Monica... she couldn't believe they were gone. One moment they were there and the next... blown to bits before her very eyes.

Her friends... gone.

Ruby sidled around a body, noting the place where she'd cloven the unfortunate pirate in half.

The death should have disgusted her. Back when she had started out in the N7 program, killing of any kind had been one of the greatest sins. But over the years she'd come to realize that it was necessary in her line of work.

As a soldier, you had a duty to your nation and your species, but more importantly, to your friends and teammates. They were depending on you to keep them safe and vice-versa. It was a lesson both Attila and Shepard drilled into her. You kill, not for yourself, but for the man standing next to you. If you wanted to die, go off and die alone. Don't drag the other guy down with you.

It had made her first kill somewhat easier. Shooting a man between the eyes to save Shepard from being gutted while assisting the police force during a drug raid for practice. She regarded it as the day her true innocence died, the day she had been willingly taken a life to save another.

The whole concept would have been horrifying to a fifteen year old, but now it barely fazed her. That didn't, however, mean she revelled in it, which made her current feelings all the more understandable.

Hard as it was, she could move past her team dying. They had all accepted that they would most likely die a fiery death in combat. But they were N7s to the core, and things like death didn't faze them anymore, even if it was their own demise. It had to happen sometime. In that light, they had promised each other that if they were killed in the line of duty, the survivors wouldn't let it stop them. They would have their time to mourn, but then they had to move on. They could take comfort in remembering the good times they had while they were still alive... because that's what they would have wanted.

Her long cry with Chakwas was one of the most healing moments of her life. She knew that there was nothing she could have done to save them... and they probably had known that too. Pure bad luck had let that gunship through, not any fault of hers.

But that promise they made, their last untold wish, dried her tears. She wouldn't have wanted them to get caught up over her own death, and she knew they thought the same about theirs...

...but it still hurt, adding to the sick feeling building inside as she wandered the bloody streets. As she took in the carnage, Crescent Rose felt as heavy as lead, as if the blood that stained its blade was dragging her down.

Yes, she could kill. But this... this was _slaughter_.

Almost nine thousand pirates landed... none survived. The shear amount of blood on her hands staggered her. People were already calling her a hero, the Savior of Elysium. But heroes didn't do _this_!

She stopped, clenching her fist as a wave of guilt washed over her. Yes, she killed... but she always drew the line. She never killed a prisoner, she never killed a surrendering enemy and she always gave them a chance... except now.

It hurt even more as she remembered Shepard's last request: 'Don't stop being you.' The little Rosebud. The only one with a shred of mercy among them. Now it felt like she was spitting on his grave.

She wasn't a hero... she couldn't even call herself a Huntress...

Ruby blinked, wondering where the strange word had come from. Then she sighed, slowly releasing her clenched fist and felt dried blood glue her fingers together before they snapped apart.

She looked down at herself and winced. She looked like a monster, covered in blood from head to toe. Crescent Rose might have been efficient in its work, but it was still a messy way to die.

Glancing around she noticed a large fountain in the middle of the street a fair distance away. The statue of a man standing proudly was miraculously intact, his outstretched hand pouring water into a pool below.

She dashed forward, covering the distance in less than a second with a burst of rose petals. People already knew about her speed, so she saw no reason to hide it, especially when she needed a wash as soon as possible. She didn't want to scare anyone after all.

She jumped into the pool and stood there, relishing the cold water as it tumbled down onto her body, washing away the crimson stains. After the heat, blood and sweat of battle, it was a little slice of heaven. After scrubbing her armor thoroughly, she raised Crescent Rose to the cleansing stream, gently cleaning the massive blade as if it was her own child. Then she stood there for a long minute, uncaring of the cold that seeped into her bones, deep in though.

Everyone had a line they didn't cross, rules they didn't break. In that regard, she failed miserably.

She couldn't call herself a hero. Not after what she did.

A sudden noise caused her stiffen. Footsteps. Too heavy to be a pet, but too small to be a grown man.

Shifting Crescent Rose to a more ready position, Ruby turned and saw a boy, no older than five, standing at the edge of the pool.

She immediately dropped her guard, afraid that she had scared him. But the boy didn't seem to notice. He was staring at her in open mouthed awe, uncaring or not comprehending the carnage around them.

"Are you an angel?" he asked innocently.

Ruby blinked once, and then smiled softly at him. "No. No I'm not," she said gently.

As the boy's face fell, she stepped out of the pool and knelt before him, coming down to eye level. "Are you lost?"

He nodded slowly, sniffling. "I can't find my mom."

Still smiling, Ruby stood and held out a hand. "Come on then. I'm sure we can find her together."

He took her hand and Ruby led him through the streets, heading towards where the dozens of Alliance shuttles were landing.

Yes. She had saved the colony, and with it tens of thousands of lives. She had won a great victory... but the scars would remain forever.

That was how the galaxy first saw her. With the newest wave of shuttles came reporters and camera crews, eager to capture the story of the lone N7 first hand. But it was one lucky photographer who captured the soon to be famous picture.

It was like a scene taken from fantasy itself.

Ruby, with the midday sun at her back, frozen in mid step, her wet armor glistening in the light. Crescent Rose was propped over one shoulder, its massive blade shining in the sun. One would have expected a heroic look, her face set in a look of confidence, befitting of a war hero. Instead she was looking down, laughing along with the little boy she led by the hand.

First impressions were everything, and the galaxy would remember forever the Savior of Elysium.

-ooo000ooo-

 **To: Admiral Hackett S.**

 **From: [REDACTED] Alliance Intelligence**

 **I know we didn't much time to talk, so I hope this message will suffice. These resent developments have me worried, and there aren't many people I can share with about this issue. In this, you are my confidant. Since you know of Rose and have personal affections for the girl, I feel that I can trust you with my thoughts.**

 **Attached Files:**

 **[Alliance Military Records: Director Verner, C (Honourably Discharged)]**

 **[File: Alliance Intelligence History]**

 **[AI: Operation Report: Rosarius (Completed)]**

 **You'll notice in the files that Verner helped to form the modern Intelligence Division in 2151. Before that we were nothing more than an organization assigned to only gathering intelligence for the Alliance. When Verner was assigned as Director he took the organization in a different direction. We still focused on gathering intelligence, but our facilities expanded to include research and development. We experiment with the usual: Weapons, Element Zero theories, which would later become Biotics, and stealth technology in space, along with...** _ **other**_ **projects. All this was done with permission from the Alliance, but the rate of expansion could be considered frightening. Verner was pushing hard for this, saying that we needed to be ready to defend our colonies should the worst come to pass. A noble sentiment, but I feel that he was preparing for something else.**

 **In 2156, around the time that I joined the Intelligence Division, Verner authorized the Rosarius Operation; a carefully organized system of passive scans and screenings of our colonies via [REDACTED] which was designed to track down threats from both within and outside the inhabitant of a colony.**

 **It was effective. We halted dozens of terrorist plots under Rosarius and the Alliance approved of its continual use.**

 **After the First Contact War, Rosarius was still in effect, though it was scheduled to end in 2165. Verner wasn't happy with this and argued for an extension. I thought nothing of it at the time, personal pride on his part, but going off the data, Rosarius wasn't about protecting the colonies.**

 **Rosarius, and by extension, Verner, was looking for Ruby Rose.**

 **I know this sounds ludicrous, but let me argue my case. Looking through his personal files it is apparent that Verner knew of Rose and her power before she even appeared on Mindoir.**

 **I hesitate to call him a traitor, but given his actions leading up to the Mindoir attack... I find that very hard to disprove.**

 **/**

 **Page 1...**


	6. Chapter 6

The shuttle shook as it was buffeted by turbulence, rattling the squad of Alliance Marines packed in the hold. They clutched at their weapons, settling into the fact that their first mission was about to begin. Only one person sat calmly, barely fazed by the rough ride. Her custom made medium Phoenix IIX armor was painted a pitch black with red highlights, with the iconic red stripe of the N7s running down her right arm. Silver eyes stared out through the black helmet, taking in each man around her one by one. A massive hybrid sniper rifle lay across her lap.

Finding nothing amiss with her team, she looked down to the silver rose broach clutched in her hand. Her signature emblem. Her last tie to her life before all this... whatever that was

Sighing, First Lieutenant Ruby Rose clipped the broach to her belt and leaned back in her seat, content to wait until landing. The lights in the hold suddenly dimmed, pulling Ruby out of her stupor. She stood, picking up Crescent Rose as she briefly debated if she should keep her prep talk serious. But with the apparent ease of the mission she decided it wasn't necessary.

"Alright people, listen up!" she said, voice raised against the sounds of reentry. "Five hours ago we received an automated distress signal from the colony of Agaus. Like the good people we are, the 5th Scout Flotilla has turned out of its way to investigate and assist."

She smiled pleasantly at the team of rookies, fresh out of basic. "From the sounds of it we're probably looking at a wildlife problem. Aside from that we're not expecting any hostile activity, which is why I've chosen you for this dubious honor. No better way to break you greenhorns into the swing of things. Remember your training, stick together and don't loose your heads. We don't know what to expect so stay on your toes. Understood?"

"Sir, yes sir!" They shouted in unison.

Ruby gave them a teasing grin. "Do I look like a _sir_ to you?"

She almost laughed at how they all hesitated, stammering as they shared awkward looks, wondering who would take the chance and answer.

"Relax," she said, still smiling. "Loosen up. This is only your first mission."

"That's... kind of it, ma'am," one of the marines muttered, swallowing hard and looking down at the deck.

To their surprise, Ruby stepped over and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Exactly. _Relax_. This is just a basic search and assess op, not a live firefight. Everything will be fine. Trust me."

He looked at her for a moment, then nodded, steadying himself.

"And that goes for the rest of you," Ruby continued, looking around the hold. "Relax. You trained for this, you know what to do." The lights suddenly flared, bathing the hold a bright red. "And that's our cue. Lock and load, people!"

The sqaud immediately set about preparing their weapons, a little rushed in Ruby's opinion. But hey, first mission gitters, she couldn't blame them for that, especially when they had someone like her as their CO.

Ruby Rose, the Crimson Reaper, the Savior of Elysium and Protector of the Traverse. She had amassed quite the reputation over the years, one that she could actually be proud of. The Crimson Reaper was grim reminder of her butchering spree on Elysium, one that she loathed. But the Savior? Or the Protector? Maybe they were exaggerating a bit there. She was only doing her duty, protecting the Alliance and helping others along the way.

But no one cared much for her humility and burdened her with the title anyway. Still she could get used to being called _The Protector_. Yeah, she could get behind that name any day.

Taking her time, Ruby slid fresh thermal clips into Crescent Rose, hearing the satisfying click as the hybrid sniper scythe locked them in the firing chamber. Satisfied, she strapped it to her back and pulled her pistol from her hip.

It was, admittedly, a beautiful piece of work for something she didn't make herself. The custom made Razer IX had been a graduation gift from Anderson. It had served her faithfully for years, though she'd replaced and modified so much of it you couldn't even call it the same pistol. Still, it was the thought that counted. It was also an excellent secondary when Crescent Rose wasn't a practical choice. Though she had found herself to be using the HVSS less often over the years.

Crescent Rose was... well, it was still her baby, but... it was difficult to pick it up again. She could use it as a sniper rifle, of which she was deadly proficient, just fine. But it was hard to truly unleash its full potential.

Elysium still haunted her. Her blood lust, tearing into the pirates without a shred of mercy left a sick feeling in her gut. It broke every single rule in her book, and though she loved Crescent Rose like her own flesh and blood, she couldn't forget what she'd done with it. Every time she drew it, doubt and uncertainty clouded her mind. She didn't let such thoughts stop her when she had to, but it certainly gave her more restraint. Her control over her actions was better than ever before, killing cleanly with one quick stroke. It helped... but she could never truly forget that day.

On one of the few plus sides, that day had also skyrocketed her career and galactic reputation.

The reveal of her speed had caused a stir in the galactic community that hadn't been seen since humanity encountered the Council. Ruby, the woman with strange, unnatural powers that couldn't be proven by science. The media had been pressing for an interview of any kind since Elysium, but Alliance Intelligence vehemently shot them down, still trying to maintain their hold on her. But nothing could stop the avalanche at that point. Everyone in the galaxy seemed to know her name and every single governing body wanted a piece of her.

The Council had stepped in immediately afterwards, demanding answers. And that was where things got complicated. The Alliance had reluctantly handed over any and all research data they had, if only not to cause a diplomatic incident. It was almost hilarious to the see the looks of the Council scientists when they saw the minuscule amount of data; barely more than a few gigabytes of observation notes. Her biology was identical to any normal human and even the rose petals she left behind when she used her speed vanished without a trace. Her speed was simply there without any scientific explanation as to how or why.

It left everyone frustrated beyond belief. The Salarians had almost threaten to have her dissected, but thankfully cooler heads had stepped in before it had come to that.

Still, it had been an interesting trip to the Citadel, but afterwards the big question was what to do with her. The Alliance wanted to keep their hold on her and the Council wanted at least some part of the super powered human. In the end, it was decided that she would remain with the Alliance. The Council would receive constant updates about her status or if any progress was made on her research.

Even with science flipping them the proverbial finger, they still hunted for answers. This was a whole new field of warfare, after all, and Ruby would be lying to herself if she didn't want some answers as well. Her entire existence was one giant mystery, one that she longed to uncover... if only to find her true family.

She still hadn't given up, ever after all these years. She just wanted to know, at this point she didn't care if they were alive or dead. Something, _anything_ , would be welcome.

Weapons ready, Ruby gripped one of the handle bars attached to the ceiling, bracing herself against a sudden blast of turbulence. "Let's get this show on the road," she murmured to herself, then keyed her radio. "Pilot, open the doors."

" _Yes ma'am."_

The side hatch slid back, letting in a wash of sunlight. Ruby squinted, her eyes adjusting for a brief moment before she was able to take in her surroundings.

Agaus was a rough and sandy planet. Long canyons and high mountains of brown sandstone rose up on all sides. The colony, more of an outpost really, holding less than two hundred people, was nestled at the bottom of one of the canyons, protecting it from the worst of the weather. A river ran beside it, one of the few sources of water in thousands of kilometers.

The colony of Agaus was nothing more than a small mining outpost established a few years ago. Rare minerals had been detected in the natural cave system that ran through the mountains. Lucky for the them, the discovery and the actual founding of the colony had gone largely unheard of, a thin shield that protected them from the piracy that plagued the Traverse. But looking down at the modest collection of buildings, Ruby saw that the streets were simply empty. Not a single living thing could be seen. There weren't even any bodies. She didn't like it one bit. Someone must have heard the shuttle by now.

"Take us down," she commanded.

The pilot obeyed and the shuttle pitched into drive, landing just outside the colony. The moment it touched down, Ruby stepped out, scanning the area. The squad jumped out behind her, fanning out to form a rough perimeter. As soon as they were clear, the shuttle lifted off into the sky and circled, providing them areal coverage.

With it gone, the natural noises of the planet resumed. The faint sound of wind blowing down from above the lip of the canyon. The chirps of insects and reptiles hidden under rocks... and a low humming sound just on the edge of her hearing. But there was nothing in the way of people. Even from a distance the colony was eerily quiet.

Ruby narrowed her eyes as she slowly lowered her pistol. Something wasn't right, she could feel it. The humming seemed to jump in pitch for a second, then dropped down so it was barely audible.

Weird.

She started forward, the squad falling into step behind her, weapons trained and ready.

For rookies, they were doing alright. Their form was down solid, though they jumped at the slightest noise. From what she'd heard, they had only just been transferred to the 5th Scout Flotilla after completing their specialization courses. No wonder they were jumpy. But it was more than that. Something about this place set her teeth on edge. The silence and the empty buildings only added to the unease.

They passed the first row of housing units and headed down the main street to the heart of the colony. Empty windows watched their progress like the hollow eyes of the dead, silent and empty. But still the buzzing persisted. Ruby gave the ear piece in her helmet a quick tap, testing for static. Nothing. It definitely wasn't an insect, of that she was sure.

"Anyone else hear that?" she asked quietly, her voice ringing in the silence like a bell.

The squad paused and listened for a moment.

"Nothing, sir... I mean, ma'am," the squad leader stammered, looking at her nervously. "Sorry."

Just her then? This was getting stranger by the second.

Ruby holstered her pistol and brought up her omni-tool. The distress signal was still running strong, so the communication relay would be good place to start looking.

"Alright, here's the plan," she said, turning around and counting the men. Six in total. Perfect. "We'll divide into three teams. Three of you will go and check out the communication relay, see if you can turn off the beacon. The rest of us will spilt into pairs and continue to search for any survivors."

She smiled pleasantly. "So, who wants to come with me?"

-ooo000ooo-

 _..._

 _... **Do you feel something?**..._

 _..._

 _... **I do**..._

 _..._

 _... **Come now. Speak to me. It's been too long since I heard your voice**..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _I have failed..._

 _... **Yes, you have**..._

 _My mission is incomplete..._

 _... **So it is**..._

 _But now... you have held me here for long enough... I won't be chained any longer..._

 _... **Don't be ridiculous. We were both trapped here together. By you... Together forever. Now and forever. Together forever. Together... forever**..._

 _My mission is incomplete..._

 _... **Together forever**..._

 _My mission..._

 _..._ _ **Chained... together...**_ **forever** _..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _Not anymore... She is coming..._

-ooo000ooo-

The footprint was still fresh, pressed into the damp river bed by heavy boot.

Ruby frowned, rising and looking downstream.

It didn't make any sense. The colony was completely empty. They had searched for hours after the beacon was shutdown, but hadn't found a thing. It was like the people just got up and left in the middle of dinner. They _had_ been in the middle of dinner. Food was still laid out in the kitchens, most of it was half eaten, but they couldn't find anyone.

Ruby had almost called off the mission and listed the colony as deserted, when one of her marines found something.

The footprint by the river.

"They all went for a walk?" the Sargent asked, looking at the print in bewilderment.

"No idea," Ruby sighed, beginning to follow the river downstream. "But its the only thing we got right now."

They followed the rushing water on for a few kilometers, keeping a careful eye on the surrounding terrain. Suddenly they found another patch of wet earth, filled with the prints of dozens of boots, all heading down stream.

Ruby's frown deepened as she examined them. It didn't make any sense. They packed up in the middle of dinner and followed the river down. But why?

A hundred meters later the river turned sharply, flowing down into a cave surrounded by mining equipment in the shadow of a cliff. There were hundreds of tracks now, all going down into the darkness.

"But... why?" the Sargeant asked. "This doesn't make any sense."

"I know," said Ruby, staring into the dark opening. "This probably leads to the mines."

"A... party, maybe?" one of the marines suggested. "I know my family got together in some strange places."

"Yeah, but your folks are weird like that," another chuckled, taking Ruby's advice to heart.

"But they wouldn't send out a distress signal for that," said Ruby. "Maybe they got lost, who knows?"

"So... what do we do now, ma'am?" the Sargeant asked. "Leave? Call for backup?"

Ruby considered both options carefully. They couldn't leave, and backup, while appreciated, would be unnecessary at this point. It was just a little spelunking, after all.

She shook her head. "No. Someone sent out that signal and we need to find out who. We're not leaving these people. Find your nightlights, we're going in."

"But ma'am, these tunnels go on for miles," a marine said nervously. "What if we get lost? We can't a signal through all this rock. Comms would be useless."

"Yeah, you're right. I'm calling this in before we proceed," Ruby said, activating her radio. "5th Fleet, this is Rose. We think the colonists have moved into the mines, reasons unknown. Proceeding to investigate. How copy?"

Nothing.

"5th Fleet, do you copy?"

Not even static.

"Is something jamming us?" the Sargent asked, glancing about warily.

"I don't know. Like you said, it could be the rocks. I'll run back to the colony, see if I can get a signal. Hold position here."

With that Ruby turned and dashed away. The walk down the river had taken close to an hour, but with her speed she covered the distance in under ten seconds, again finding herself among the deserted buildings. The empty windows seemed darker than before as she tried the radio again.

"5th Fleet, this is Rose, do you copy?... Do you copy?... Anyone?... Hello?"

A feeling of absolute dread settled over her as the shadows seemed to lengthened around her. It was familiar, but she wasn't in any danger. The last time she had felt like this was on Elysium with...

Ruby wheeled around and ran back to the cave, skidding to stop just outside.

Her team was gone.

She swore, readying Crescent Rose as the yawning darkness of the cave leered at her.

Had something dragged them in? Nothing here was making any damn sense!

Steeling herself for whatever was to come, Ruby ran inside, the darkness swallowing her whole. She wouldn't lose another team.

Not again.

-ooo000ooo-

Alliance ships swarmed over the colony of Agaus, shuttles landing amidst clouds of dust, disgorging loads of black armored marines onto the surface. They swept through the colony with ruthless efficiency, searching every nook and cranny, but no trace of anyone was to be found.

It had been over forty hours since the distress signal at Agaus. Thirty hours ago Lieutenant Rose had set down and began her investigation. Twenty five hours ago all contact was lost.

Lieutenant Ruby Rose, famed hero of the Alliance, had gone missing.

Alliance Intelligence had jumped into action the moment the fleet reported the disappearance, diverting assets from everywhere to her last known location. The whole system had been sealed and communication buoys locked down before the news could spread. The last thing they wanted was Rose being declared KIA by the media.

From one of the landing shuttles stepped Captain Anderson. He was geared out in his full N7 kit, rifle and all, determined to find his missing charge. Next on the ground was Colonel Fang, shouting orders in a frenzy. Rose was too great an asset to lose over a simple recovery op.

After almost ten hours, Intelligence was reluctantly leaning toward declaring her MIA. The colony was abandoned, not even a single body could be found. Not even the powerful scans from the Dreadnoughts in orbit could find anything. Yet Anderson continued to search, trying to keep his emotions in check. Ruby was like a daughter to him and he was loathed to abandon her here.

Then, while down by the river, Anderson found the print of a heavy boot imprinted in the mud. Elated he followed it downstream, drawing the attention of Fang. Soon more tracks joined the first and they identified Ruby's unique tread among them, leading further downstream.

It lead them far down into the canyon, past deserted mining equipment and tools. Then, after almost two kilometers, they stopped at the entrance to a large cave carved out of a cliff. The tracks carried on inside, going down into utter blackness. They debated if whether or not they should start searching inside right away or wait for specialized crews. This was only one entrance to the massive cave system the colony had stumbled upon, anyone could get lost in there.

But their argument was cut short when someone emerged from the darkness.

It was a sight Anderson would remember to his dying day.

Ruby Rose stumbled out, barely managing to keep her footing on the rough ground, her face and armor was stained red, blood pouring down from her nose and eyes. Crescent Rose was clutched in her hand, its blade covered with dried crimson. Her face bore the most haunted expression ever conceived, silver eyes staring blankly out onto the world without truly seeing.

The entire group backed away as she stumbled forward, coming to stop before Anderson. She stared at him for a long minute, empty eyes boring into him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, swaying on her feet. Then her eyes rolled into her head and she collapsed, unconscious.

-ooo000ooo-

 _... **What a shame... for you, anyway. That was the most fun I've had in years**..._

 _..._

 _..._ _ **Oh, don't pout. So what if you missed your only chance in a millennium? You still have forever to wait for another... with me! But, and I don't mean to gloat here, you**_ **failed** _..._

 _Have I?..._

 _... **She's gone now. Gone forever. Never coming back**..._

 _She will..._

 _... **Oh? And how do you know that?**..._

 _I accepted my torch when it was given to me... and now I pass on the flame... my mission..._

 _... **Is incomplete, I know. Yay**..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _For now..._


	7. Chapter 7

"Lieutenant Rose, you will answer me."

Across the table, Ruby sat slumped in her chair, staring at the floor. She hadn't said so much as a single word since Agaus. On the other side of the room, Fang scowled at her. "Lieutenant, I am _ordering_ you to answer me. What happened on Agaus?"

Ruby didn't even blink.

Fang's scowl deepened. "We've searched the entire cave system and no trance of your team or the colonists. Where are they?"

Nothing.

"You _will_ answer me, Lieutenant. _What happened_?"

Around him the panel consisting of Alliance Admirals and officials watched intently. So much rode on this that they had put aside their own personal agendas to attend the tribunal. No one was allowed to spectate, not even Captain Anderson. It was just them and Miss Rose, who stood accused.

That was their dilemma. In the years since revealing Ruby to the galaxy at large, the Alliance had been hard at work behind the scenes. She was a hero to humans everywhere, and even to some of the other species as well. The Alliance had used her as a stepping stone, propelling the their reputation far beyond what anyone could have imagined. But all that depended on her public image. With her kind of caliber, everyone knew it only took one small slip-up for everything to come crashing down.

And here she was, accused of murder, betrayal, and dereliction of duty. At least, those were the assumed charges. Blood analysis confirmed that her weapon had killed at least ten people, four from her squad and six more individuals from the colony. Things weren't looking good for any of them. The pressure was on. The Brass wanted to keep their super soldier, politicians wanted to keep the glory, and Ruby Rose said nothing to redeem herself. The house of cards was beginning to fall.

Fang sucked in air through his nose and leaned back in his chair. Around him the other Admirals discussed among themselves. Admiral Hackett only watched the silent Rose before them. She looked dead to the world, broken in more ways than one. Her haunted expression spoke volumes about what happened, a sure conviction, if any.

"I had no choice." It was no louder than a whisper, but everyone heard her. Ruby blinked, moving for the first time in ages as she shifted in her seat.

Fang leaned forwards, hands on his desk, uncharacteristically nervous. She had condemned herself after all. "Lieutenant, are you... _confessing_ to these accusations?"

"I had no choice," Ruby repeated, her watering eyes drifting back and forth unfocused. "They forced me to..."

The panel was silent, listening with rapt attention. But Ruby fell silent once again, staring down at the floor. Then her fists clenched and she looked up, a renewed fire in her eyes.

"Sir, I can't deny what I've done." She stood, snapping to attention. "I was forced to execute my own men, and I gladly accept whatever punishment is to come."

Silence reigned as the panel sat, stunned. She hadn't even tried to deny it. Only Fang seemed to keep his composure as he leaned forward. "Forced? Is there some other motivation or party we aren't aware of?"

Ruby opened her mouth, but no words came out. She tried again, gasping like a fish. Then she swallowed, a look of profound sorrow on her face. "No sir. None at all."

A lie. It had to be.

Fang narrowed his eyes, examining her closely as he picked up a datapad lying beside him. He passed it to the Admiral next to him, whispering a few words in his ear. One by one the pad was passed around until it arrived in the hand of Admiral Hackett. Surprise briefly flashed across his face, but Fang and the others were already talking among themselves, deciding on a course of action.

This couldn't go public. Rose had admitted it herself; she'd killed those men, but why? That was the one answer they couldn't guess, and Rose wasn't going to help. But that couldn't change anything. The hero of the Alliance had condemned herself of crimes that would have others court marshaled and imprisoned for life. It would be political genocide, bringing down everything they'd worked so hard to achieve.

"Very well, Lieutenant," Fang said after a lengthy pause. He settled down in his chair, taking one last look at the report. "We have reviewed your case and have determined... that you have performed admirably."

Ruby's eyes shot to him, widening in disbelief as her whole posture sagged. "W-what?"

"We were unaware that raiders had ambushed you in such a way," Fang continued calmly. "We regret the loss of the colony, but you did the best you could."

"Sir, I-"

"Furthermore, in light of the biological threat you encountered we have determined that the loss of your team was not any fault of your own. They died protecting you from further contamination, though not completely. Hallucinations are a common side effect of this particular toxin."

Ruby bit back a choked growl. "Respectfully sir, I-"

"Agaus never happened, Lieutenant. Is that clear?"

Ruby struggled to maintain her composure, fists shaking as she looked from one solemn face to the next. Even Hackett remained as emotionless as a statue.

"I understand. Sir," she said stiffly, barely able to keep the snarl from her voice.

"Good. You're dismissed, _Lieutenant Commander._ "

-ooo000ooo-

Numb.

That was all Ruby could feel. The cold of her private quarters seeped into her bones, chilling her to the core. Her uniform, the one that she had worn so proudly over the years now felt as heavy as lead. She sat on her bed, staring into her open palm. Epaulets bearing the stripes of a Lieutenant Commander gazed back, mocking her.

She'd failed... she'd failed miserably.

She had no choice, but that didn't change the fact that she had killed innocent people. She should have been punished, thrown out of the Alliance and locked up for life... instead they had _promoted_ her for it.

Already the tragic story of Agaus was spreading. The Brass was commending her for her bravery and offering their condolences, all the while ordering under their breaths that she never breathe a word of this to anyone.

But this was wrong.

Their brief time with her team during the mission, before _it_ happened, haunted her. She had talked to them, learned their names, talked about their families and even offered relationship advice... and then she killed them. Men who she hadn't known for even a day, dead at her feet. Put down like rabid dogs.

She couldn't bare it anymore.

The epaulets dropped to floor as she crawled under the covers, uniform and all, sobbing bitterly. She didn't deserve this. A promotion to Lieutenant Commander for killing her own men?

It hurt even more realizing why she could never tell them why. They would never believe her.

She cried herself to sleep that night, trying to pull the shattered pieces of her conscience back together.

-ooo000ooo-

Water rained down from the shower head, running down his naked body like the endless cascades of Niagara Falls. Shampoo suds ran down his face as Conrad Verner hummed to himself. Retirement suited him well. He had slipped back into his regular hobbies but that was to be expected, though many would it strange that he found galactic real-estate fun.

But that was only one of his many talents.

"Ah shit," he muttered, trying to wash away the burning sensation that appeared in his eye, but only succeeded in adding more fuel to the fire. "Motherhuberd! That _burns_!"

Abruptly, his omni-tool on the counter outside the shower stall started to ring.

"Fuck!"

He blindly dove for the stall door, knocking it open and falling flat on his face on the metal floor of his bathroom. Through some miracle, the impact managed to shake the device loose from its perch and fell on his head. "Ow."

Before the last ring could fade away, Conrad snatched it up and answered with as calm a voice as he could. " _Y'hello_! Who is it?"

The voice that answered on the other end was all too familiar.

"Hey, what's up, man!" he laughed, standing and finally getting the blasted soap out of his eye. "I was just thinking about you. My wife says I should stay away, but..."

He stopped as the voice interrupted.

"Wait, wait, wait, stop. No, stop! What did you say?" After a moment of listening, his face paled. "W-what? What do you mean it's _not there_?!"

"..."

"I-it should be. Yeah, we made sure of it. Her brother took it himself, no way that happened."

"..."

Conrad considered it for a moment, then ran out of the bathroom to the bedroom of his apartment on the Citadel. "Yeah, I'm sure," he said as he tore open his closet and dug through it frantically. "We arranged the pickup before hand, it went off without a hitch."

"..."

"Side-tracked? Hmm... maybe. I hope so." He glanced at the body bag in the corner, half buried under a pile of dirty clothes. "Hang in there, baby, I'll take care of you soon."

"..."

"No, just talking to my wife."

"..."

"Why do you always forget the codewords? Besides, you'd be amazed how many people believe you when you say you're married. Honestly, its a good cover. You should try it sometime." He threw a pair of underwear, a shirt, pants, boots and a leather jacket onto the bed before leaning against the wall. "Where are you anyway?"

"..."

"You broke in? Well jeez, that makes my job a lot harder."

"..."

"Good point. Nothing there to steal anymore. Good call." He reached into the gun locker buried at the back of the closet and pulled out a pistol. He tossed it onto the bed along with a concealed holster. "In the meantime, I need you to talk to his sister. Maybe she has some idea where he went."

"..."

"Oh don't give me that bullshit. You know she has something to do with this."

"..."

"Fine, tell her that if she doesn't talk we have to involve the _big guy_. This is far too important to lose." He pulled on the pants, realized he had forgotten the underwear and cursed. "I don't think she'd like that too much. I know I wouldn't. The guy's a prick."

"..."

Conrad paused in the middle of pulling on his shirt. "I _guess_? Anyway, keep me posted. I got some business to take care of."

He hung up and finished getting dressed, last of all pulling on his favorite leather jacket. Then he rushed to the kitchen, opened the fridge and pulled out four small eggs. He checked the label on the carton, grinned, then shoved them in his jacket beside the pistol.

Finally, he checked to make sure his Cerberus alias was active on his omni-tool before heading off into the depths of the Citadel. Just another day in the life of the Cell.

-ooo000ooo-

 **Colonel,**

 **I... I don't know what to say.**

 **I know Agaus is classified material, but I need to know what happened down there. This kind of brain damage is unlike anything we've ever seen. The closest comparison I can make is when we were experimenting with neural interfaces. If I had to make a guess I would say Rose had a ton of information just shoved into her brain then ripped out like a band-aid.**

 **But that makes no sense. With that kind of trauma she should be completely brain dead. The fact that she's still standing is a miracle of itself.**

 **With this in mind I will give my prognosis: NEVER bring it up with her again. I know this isn't the proper treatment, but we have no choice. We don't know if all the 'data' was pulled out completely or if some is still lurking in her mind. If she were to recall the incident it might trigger a resurgence... and I don't think she would survive.**

 **That is my professional opinion, at least until we have a proper treatment. Take it how you will.**

 **Doctor Alaric, E**

 **Alliance Intelligence**

-ooo000ooo-

Sparks flew as steel met steel. A savage grin broke across his face as Monty strove to overwhelm his opponent. His foe, a man in his mid-twenties was hopelessly outmatched by the Aura-gifted Huntsman as he forced his sword down.

He lashed out abruptly, breaking the stalemate and the man's knee with a well-timed kick. The man didn't have time to scream as his guard dropped, allowing Monty to swiftly decapitate him. As the headless body fell, more rushed the Huntsmen, heedless of their friend's demise.

Poor fools, thinking they could take him on. Monty raised his sword in a mock salute and pulled the trigger in the guard. The 44. Magnum built into the hilt fired with a thunderous retort, popping a man's skull like a balloon. He fired again, killing another, then leaned back, dodging a sword directed at his ribs.

"Is this really all you got?" he laughed, parrying another clumsy strike before ending his opponent with a quick thrust through the heart. His hybrid gun-sword, which he fondly called Last Chance, almost preened in delight as blood painted its length

Just what were these morons thinking? Taking on two fully trained Huntsmen without a shred of combat experience between them. They didn't even have their own Huntsmen to properly counter them. Monty had even considered sparing them out of pity, as they clearly had no idea what they were doing. But they were in the way of a _very_ large pay check. Also, body snatchers. There were few things he truly hated in a criminal, but grave-robbing was one of them. That body also so happened to be a Huntress.

In that case: no mercy.

It hadn't taken much to track the group back to their hideout, an abandoned warehouse set into a cliff on the outskirts of Vale. Oum was his usual diplomatic self and offered them a chance to leave in peace in exchange for the body.

The rest, as they say, was history.

Monty slid a new clip into Last Chance, whistling a merry tune as he surveyed his last few opponents.

Just regular old humans in combat fatigues. The clothes were clearly Atlas in make, but the men were far from disciplined soldiers. Mercs or angsty teens most likely. But there was something odd about them. Anyone facing a Huntsman would be shitting bricks right about now, but their faces were oddly expressionless, as if they didn't care that death awaited them.

Meh, their loss.

"So," Monty drawled, swinging his sword casually. A smirk lifted his lips as he took note of the powerful strobe light behind him, casting long shadows on the ground. "Who's next?"

The men charged, running straight into his shadow.

 _Perfect_.

Laughing, Monty activated his Semblance and the shadow came to life beneath them, wrapping up their legs and tearing into their flesh with long, twisted fingers. He was on them an instant later, cleaving a man in two while his shadow puppet strangled another.

Whirring around, he raised his blade to finish off the last one, only to find him standing perfectly ridged, the blade of a rapier pierced through his heart.

"Welcome to the party," Monty grinned, lowering Last Chance as the body dropped, revealing his brother. "What took you so long? Lost your invitation?"

The Dust cylinder in the rapier's hilt spun, then Oum thrust the blade out to the side, discharging a burst of fire that incinerated another man running at them from the side. Oum raised an eyebrow. "You missed one."

Monty shrugged. "I could have taken him."

"I know that, but your ego is big enough already."

"You're just jealous," he grinned, motioning around to the dozens of bodies around him.

Oum merely blinked and turned away, heading towards a door on the far end of the warehouse.

"Yeah, totally jelly," Monty chuckled, jogging to catch up to his brother.

The door led to a long hallway that went deeper into the cliff with another sealed door at the far end. Monty kicked it down, the flimsy steel no match for his Aura infused kick. He took a quick look around and whistled. The room on the other side was as large as a combat arena back at Beacon. Long tables covered with computers, microscopes, and other scientific equipment stretched from wall to wall. One of the largest servers he'd ever seen sat in the middle of the room, humming quietly.

"Peach would have a field with this," Monty murmured, going over and examining one of the terminals. "Defiantly Atlas tech. Thieves _and_ grave robbers. Just perfect. No remorse or fucks given."

Oum said nothing as he examined the server, following wires and cables trailing across the floor. A terminal finally caught his eye and he tapped the screen, frowning at what he saw once it powered up. "Heavy security," he said, fingers already flying across the keyboard. "Overriding it should take some time, meanwhile you can find the body."

"Yeah, already on it," Monty sighed, looking around. He couldn't find any trace of a corpse and the lab was free of any blood stains. But of course it would be in a body bag, so what was he thinking? Whistling, he strutted about, searching for a container or something that looked large enough to hold a body. They wouldn't be stupid and leave a rotting corpse out in the open to smell. They may have been amateurs, but they weren't dumb. Then again, they did draw the ire of two Huntsmen. Dumbest thing you could possibly do.

Then his eye fell upon an especially large cable trailing out of the server. Suddenly intrigued, he followed it across the floor until it vanished under a heavy metal door at the back of the lab. Even through it he could pick up the faint stench of blood.

"Open sesame," he grinned, grabbing the doorknob only to instantly recoil.

Something had just touched his Aura. Not a physical blow, but a strange presence that brushed against his essence. Only it wasn't another person's Aura. More than that, it felt... _wrong_.

Mentally fortifying his Aura by sheer force of will, he carefully reached for the knob again. The presence returned, brushing against his will like a soft summer breeze. He pulsed his Aura, letting the power rush over him, but it gave no reaction.

Metal clicked together as the blade of Last Chance broke into segments, folding into the hilt and leaving him with an overly large Magnum. He slowly eased the door open, scanning the room beyond down the iron sights and froze at the sight before him.

"Oum protect us."

"I heard that!" Oum shouted, but Monty was too engrossed in the sight before him to respond.

The room was a natural cave, formed by millions of years of erosion. The cable he'd been following ran across the floor to finally connect with a large tripod-like piece of machinery. The bluish grey metal clearly wasn't Atlas in make, or any other province Monty had been to. But it was the body bag impaled on a large spike that shot out from the top that made his fists clench.

The strange presence against his Aura grew stronger as he approached, though thankfully not enough to breach his defences. Monty swallowed dryly, his shock and revulsion giving way to anger. What the hell was this? What was it doing here, and why the _fucking hell_ was there a body on it? There were few things in life he found truly repulsive. But defilement, of a _Huntress_ no less? That was unforgivable.

"Oh my," murmured Oum, coming up beside him and staring at the corpse.

"Did you find anything on that tech?" Monty asked through clentched teeth.

Oum nodded slowly. "A lot. Very disturbing stuff."

"And you feel that too?"

"Its Aura?... Yes."

"That's bullshit and you know it."

"Alright. I feel its... _presence_ , so to speak."

"That still makes no fucking sense. Machines can't generate Aura," said Monty, allowing Last Chance to unfold once again. With a single swipe the spike was severed at the base, allowing the body to fall. Oum caught it, pulling the spike clear before leaving without a word.

Monty made to follow, but paused at the door, glaring at the machine. Against his better judgement he listened through his Aura, feeling the presence rub against him. Then he felt it. A single will that grasped at his mind, trying to tear into his thoughts and drive him to madness. To dance like a puppet, stripped of all free will. If not for his Aura he was sure he would have fallen to its power.

He didn't know its purpose or why it was here, but the strange presence around it felt... evil. Pure, unfiltered evil.

And he knew just what to do with it.

"Fuck you!"

Shadows danced along the walls as his Semblance came to life, jumping at the infernal machine. Their long fingers found the seams between the metal plates and they slipped inside, tearing it apart from the inside out. Monty watched, never relenting until it was nothing more than a soldering wreak on the ground. He spat on the pieces, then made to leave. But at the last moment he paused, then reached down and picked a piece of metal, no larger than a finger. He examined for a moment with distaste, then shoved it in a pocket and left.

They might just get something useful out of it. If those men made that thing then they needed to know how. Something this evil couldn't be allowed to exist. It was his duty as a Huntsman, after all.

-ooo000ooo-

 **...Page 2...**

 **I'm sure, Admiral, that you and the rest of the Brass are aware of how effective Rosarius was, though you probably knew it as Operation Torpedo, The RCP or Mountain Watch. Verner insisted we keep the name vague in Alliance records. I am unsure why, as it serves no purpose other than misleading our allies. But maybe that was his goal the whole time.**

 **Even if it was effective, it was old, outdated, and costly beyond belief. Verner wasn't too happy when the Alliance started leaning towards other Divisions for more efficient solutions. When they asked him to assist in the formation of the new surveillance system, Black Cloud, I believe he snapped.**

 **At this point there is no doubt in my mind that he turned on the Alliance and its people to keep his Operation funded.**

 **Within a week of launching, Black Cloud lost sight of three outpost and a single colony containing hundreds. No survivors. An investigation was launched but couldn't find any trace of the attackers. It was like they had appeared out of thin air and vanished without a trace.**

 **With this failure as proof, Verner reinstated Rosarius and continued its operation until the Mindoir attack. Up until this point I was in the dark about his actions, but now its glaring obvious.**

 **[LOCKDOWN: CLASSIFIED MATERIAL. AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED]**

 **[**************************************************************: Access Granted]**

 **The thing you have to understand about Rosarius is that it isn't just an algorithm, or even a linked system of comm relays; its an** **entire** **network of deep space probes, designed by Verner himself. These probes, while** _ **highly**_ **expensive, topped everything we had at the time in terms of detection capability, even to the point of detecting a ship before it exited a Mass Relay** **an** **impossible** **feat** **. To this day we don't know how they do it.**

 **But there was a function we weren't aware of. All the while watching over our colonies they were scanning for... something, and we don't know what. A strange energy signature that we've never seen before. And it was working. The probes would pick up blips once every month or so. We didn't know about it, of course. The data they collected went straight to Verner.**

 **The last blip the probes collected was in 2170 on Mindoir, the very day Ruby Rose appeared. After she was safe Verner was all too happy to let his Operation fall apart.**

 **But it begs the question, just how involved was Verner in this? We told you that the attacks we were investigating before Mindoir had been the fault of Pirates.**

 **We lied. _He_ lied.**

 **Not even Pirates could be this brutal. Too much blood, nothing stolen, no slaves taken. It was like a pack of wild animals had torn the colonies to ribbons. Verner ordered us to cover it up, said it would be demoralizing. I agreed with him at the time. Now I wonder if he ordered the attacks, just so he would have a reason to be a Mindoir to see Rose.**

 **If that is the case, then he is undoubtedly a traitor, attacking Alliance colonies with his own personal army.**

 **I know it seems far fetched, but look at the data, there is nothing else it could be. But who does he work for, and why his interest in Rose?**

 **But now... I need to be open with you. As you probably guessed, that energy ping the probes picked up on Mindoir was Rose. But even if he seemed to care about her, Verner was far from open about her status, even going as far to falsify her medical records.**

 **Why? Well... it would appear that Rose wasn't as _human_ as we thought.**

 **...Page 2...**


	8. Chapter 8

The meeting room was silent. Around the table sat various members of the Alliance Brass, contemplating what they had just heard. Among them were Ambassador Donnel Udina and Colonel Fang, a heavy scowl plastered across the latter's face.

This was it. A tipping point for the Alliance. Once again the Council had given them the chance for a Spectre candidate.

The problem was who, or rather who _else_ , could they send.

"It would seem that we have no choice," Udina spoke up, looking around at the stern faces. Scoffs came from around the table. Of course they had no choice. It was one of the most devious yet obvious power plays ever designed.

"Are we sure there's no other candidate?" Colonel Fang asked, cold and emotionless as always.

"None that the Council will agree to," Udina replied, crossing his arms. "The real question is what do we want more? This is what the Alliance has been working towards for decades."

"Not if it means giving up Rose," said Fang tightly.

"Come now, Colonel, do you realize what the stakes are?"

"I do. We're not surrendering our top asset. Send someone else."

"The Council won't accept anyone else," said Hackett from his place at the head of the table. "They have us backed in a corner here."

"I am aware, Admiral, but I would prefer to keep Rose firmly under our control. We can find another paragon to take her place."

"They'd be rejected instantly," said Udina. "They'll only accept Rose as a Spectre."

"And that's the problem, Ambassador. Rose is irreplaceable. Once we hand her over to the Council we'll never get her back. Rose is off the table." Fang's statement sent murmurs of agreement to fill the room.

"And give up this opportunity?" Udina gaped at him. "This is a once in a lifetime chance. They won't hesitate to make her a Spectre. They've been pushing for this for years!"

"We're not giving her up."

Udina slapped the table angrily. "Damn it, Colonel! This is about Humanity as a whole. We cannot waste this chance just because of your pigheadedness!"

The Colonel glared at him. "Do I need to remind you what Commander Rose has done for the Alliance?" he growled dangerously.

"I am well aware," Udina harrumphed. "The Savior of Elysium, the Crimson Reaper, the Protector of the Traverse. She was recommended for the Star of Terra twice, _twice_ , in her career, an unheard-of accomplishment."

"And what will it tell the Alliance when we hand her over to the Council," Fang shot back. "That we're willing to sacrifice our heroes for political gain?"

" _Sacrifice!?_ To become a Spectre is the greatest honor the Council can give! Humanity will thank us for this."

"And when that happens we will lose all control over her," Fang growled, eyes narrowing. "Rose is powerful, the Council knows this. But do you realize what she means for the galaxy at large, Ambassador? The moment somebody cracks the secret of her powers they will instantly become the dominate force in the galaxy. I'm not willing to take the chance that someone else will figure it out first. Send someone else."

"It's already decided, Fang," Hackett said tightly "Commander Rose will be our Spectre. She's everything the Alliance represents and more: honor, duty,... and she's one of most kind-hearted soldiers I've ever met. The people love her. Better yet, even the other Council species respect her. They'll jump at the chance to have her."

"Weren't you listening to what I said?" said Fang tightly. "We might lose _everything_. Rose, her powers, untold advances in technology. Once they get their claws on her they'll never let go and the Alliance will never pull ahead." His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "If that happens, how long will it take for her loyalties to come into questions?"

Hackett's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Just how well do you know her, Fang? She isn't just some weapon to be pointed everywhere. She will always be human first, in every sense of the word."

"That doesn't-"

"I'm afraid you are overruled, Colonel. The Council will be pleased." Udina interrupted, picking up a datapad and signing it.

It was official. Commander Ruby Rose would be a Spectre.

-ooo000ooo-

The armor locker was thrown open, the sound echoing in the expansive cargo bay. A pair of pale, calloused hands dug inside. Within seconds they found the black body suit and pulled it out. Made out of a strong fabric weave, it was able to both absorb most small impacts and even protect against the cold of space for a time. Piercing silver eyes examined the fabric, searching for any rips or tears. Finding none, it was shoved back in as the hands began undoing the buttons of the Alliance uniform, decorated with the gold bars of a Commander.

As the dress jacket fell from her shoulders, Ruby Rose shivered, feeling the familiar cold of a starship on her bare arms. Pushing the discomfort aside she hung the jacket on a hook in the locker, followed by her shirt, pants, and shoes before she slipped into the body-glove.

As she pulled the zipper up to her neck her omni-tool bleeped with a notification, encasing her left arm in its glowing radiance. After sparing it a glance she went to close the device when her eyes were drawn unexpectedly to the date, focusing on the date in the upper right hand corner.

2183\. Sudden emotion filled her chest as she stared at the year.

 _Thirteen years._

Thirteen years since she had been found on Mindoir.

A sad smile came to her face as the memories flowed back. It felt like a whole lifetime had passed, and in a way it had. She was twenty nine now, a far cry from the little girl pulled from the fires of the burning colony. Would that same girl recognize the woman, no, the _soldier_ , she was today?

Ruby shook her head clearing her thoughts as she reached into the locker and pulled out her chest plate.

She was barely recognizable from that little girl. She had grown, now standing just an inch sort of six feet. Her formerly thin and wiry frame was covered in a layer of coiled muscle, built up over the years of conditioning and war. Her skin still retained its pale complexion, though dozens of faded scars now covered her skin, evidence of the dozens of missions and brawls she'd participated in. The slightly round, youthful face of a teenager had narrowed, the baby fat disappearing and leaving a sharp jaw in its wake. The childish excitement that had once lifted her lips was gone, leaving it a thin line beneath a sharp nose. Her messy red hair had been tamed a long time ago, the dark tresses reaching down to her cheeks now neatly-cut and smooth, framing her eyes perfectly.

But it was those silver orbs that had changed the most. The hard truth of the galaxy had wiped away the naive innocence that once burned bright within them, leaving two hard orbs of steel looking out upon the world. She had seen many horrors in her career, memories that could never be forgotten.

It was rather sad, actually. Many times she'd wished she could just go back to being that innocent young girl, looking out onto the galaxy with wonder.

But if that were the case, she would have been dead a long time ago, powers or not.

The chest piece was slapped on, followed by greaves, bracers and gantlets. She tightened the straps with practised ease born of years of rapid deployments. In less than a minute she was fully suited up in her own personally modified Medium Phoenix VIII armor. It was painted with her signature paintjob; black with red highlights. But on the chest piece, just above the N7 designation, was painted a small silver rose.

Nodded in satisfaction, she reached into the locker one last time, past the helmet sitting on the top shelf and to the very back. She groped around for a moment before pulling out the last piece of her gear.

Her silver rose emblem.

She smiled sadly, fingers gently tracing the engraved flower. Out of all her possessions, few though they were, she considered this the most precious. Her last link to the home and family she had forgotten. It had been so long she had almost given up hope of ever seeing it again... but that single flower kept her hoping.

They were out there somewhere, she knew it.

After one last look, she clipped the rose to her belt and turned to the weapons crate beside her locker. She typed in the long thirty digit code and the trunk popped open with a hiss, revealing Crescent Rose.

She gazed at it for a long moment, then reverently eased the weapon out.

 _A mission left incomplete._

Ruby shook the thought away, wincing at the slight pain at the back of her skull. It had been like that since Agaus, though it never amounted to anything more than a minor annoyance. That single phrase seemed to ring in her brain like a bell whenever she held Crescent Rose. All the doctors said it was an extreme case of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Every time the blade came out she was thrown back into the nightmare of the caves.

But that hadn't stopped her devotion over her baby. The High-Velocity-Sniper-Scythe had come a long way since its humble beginnings in her bedroom. It was still one of the largest handheld weapons in the galaxy, its folded up form reaching almost a full meter in length. Nothing she could really do about that, it needed the space to store the segmented pieces of the blade. The rifle assembly, however? Oh where to start with the upgrades? Her own custom-designed triple-chamber heat-sink assembly, capable of three shots in rapid succession. The high-yield concussive shot mods to the barrel and the CSC... in fact there were so many it was hard to keep track.

The HVSS gave off an air of deadly beauty. It made for a deadly sniper rifle, even if she didn't use the melee function.

She slipped Crescent Rose over her shoulder and felt it catch on the magnetic strips on her back. She reached into the trunk one last time and pulled out her personal sidearm, the heavily modified Razer IX pistol from Anderson, and slapped it to her thigh.

Satisfied with her equipment, she turned and dashed towards the cargo bay elevator, vanishing in a burst of rose petals only to reappear beside it a second later. Grinning with the exhilaration that using her speed brought, Ruby slapped the elevator controls. The door opened and she stepped inside, pressing the button for the crew deck and waited as it went up... and waited... and waited...

Her eye started twitching as a minute passed. Here she was, the fastest being alive, stuck in the slowest elevator in the galaxy. She could have patience... but not for this infernal machine.

Just before the twitching could spread to the rest of her body, the slow-as-hell elevator stopped, and the door opened to the crew deck. With an exaggerated sigh of relief, she stepped out onto the crew deck and up the ramp that led to the CIC. Crewmen stopped as she passed, saluting as she headed towards the cockpit.

" _The Arcturus Prime Relay is in range, initiating transmission sequence._ " Joker, her ship's pilot said over the intercom.

From his station, Navigator Pressly gave a nod as she passed, an action she returned in kind.

" _We are connected. Calculating transit mass and destination... The Relay is hot, acquiring approach vector._ "

Her boots clumped against the metal flooring as she approached the cockpit. The orange glow of a dozen holographic displays clearly outlining the silhouette of a Turian in full armor standing behind the pilot seat.

" _All stations secure for transit._ "

She tapped the Turian on the shoulder, giving the familiar face a smile. His mandibles twitched and he gave her a polite nod in return. Still smiling, Ruby turned, watching as the form of the Relay loomed in the cockpit windows.

" _Board is green. Approach run has begun._ "

In the pilot's seat sat Jeff "Joker" Moreau, his fingers flying across the controls as he guided the _SSV Normandy_ alongside the massive construct.

" _Hitting the Relay in three... two... one._ "

Blue lightning arched from the Relay, latching onto the _Normandy_ and propelling it at faster than light speeds across the galaxy. As the slight feeling of FTL settled over her, Ruby couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. It was something that could go faster than her, and she didn't particularly like that fact. But it lasted for only a moment as the Relay spat them out of FTL light-years away from their last position.

"Thrusters... check," said Joker, scanning the displays. "Navigation... check. Internal emissions sink engaged. All systems online. Drift... just under 1500k."

The Turian nodded. "Fifteen hundred is good. Your Captain will be pleased."

He turned to leave, then paused and gave her a nod of acknowledgement. "Commander."

"Nihlus," Ruby replied, returning the gesture as he strolled away.

"I hate that guy," Joker muttered, slumping in his seat.

Next to him in the co-pilot seat, Kaidan Alenko raised an eyebrow. "Nihlus gave you a complement... so you hate him?"

"You remember to zip up your jumpsuit on the way out of the bathroom? That's good. I just jumped us halfway across the galaxy and hit a target the size of a pinhead. So that's incredible! Besides, Spectres are trouble. I don't like having him on board. Call me paranoid."

"Your paranoid," Kaidan deadpanned. "The Council helped fund this project. They have a right to send someone to keep an eye on their investment."

"Yeah," Joker scoffed. "That's the official story. But only an idiot believes the official story."

"So let me get this straight, Joker," Ruby said with a grin as she leaned over the back of the pilot seat. "If only an idiot believes the _official story_ , as you say, what about all those _official_ gossip articles you've been reading?"

"She's right, Joker," Kaidan grinned.

"But you have a point," Ruby continued, growing serious. "I know Nihlus personally. He was my escort back on the Citadel when they were trying to figure out my powers. He's a good guy, but a simple shakedown run isn't his style. He says those kinds of missions are a waste of his skill... and I gotta agree with him on that one."

"See. Told you so," Joker gave Kaidan a smug look. "Maybe the conspiracy theorists were right. The Council is finally cracking down on us."

"Or just your porn habit," Ruby shrugged with an exaggerated moan. "You've let enough viruses on the Normandy already. Who knows what you let onto the Citadel. They're onto you now, Joker. Watch out!"

"Can't be," the pilot grinned back at her. "Everyone knows I use protection."

Ruby frozen, then groaned at the image. "Okay, Okay, I give in. Just... stop, please."

"Now there's something I'll never get out of my head," Kaidan groaned, rubbing his forehead.

"Same. Hey, they have bleach down stairs, right?"

"It won't be enough, Commander. Not for this."

The crackle of the radio cut them off as Captain Anderson's voice echoed through the cockpit. " _Joker! Status report._ "

The pilot, coughed, straightening in his seat, though a victorious smirk was etched on his face. "Just cleared the Mass Relay, Captain. Stealth systems engaged. Everything looks solid."

" _Good. Find a comm. buoy and link us into the network. I want mission reports relayed back to Alliance brass before we reach Eden Prime._ "

"Aye-aye, Captain. Better brace yourself, sir. I think Nihlus is headed your way."

" _He's already here, Lieutenant._ "

A slap echoed through the cockpit as Ruby slapped a hand to her face, muttering to herself. "You just keep on digging yourself into a deeper hole, don't you? First me and now Anderson."

" _Tell Commander Rose to meet me in the comm. room for a debriefing_." With that, the radio cut out.

Sighing, Joker looked over his shoulder. "You get that, Commander?"

"I got it," Ruby answered, pushing off the chair and heading back to the CIC. Just before she left the cockpit she looked back over her shoulder. "Oh, and Joker? You may have won this round, but let it be known that I, Ruby, _rose_ the challenge. Alright?"

Joker's face twisted as though he'd bitten into a lemon. "Well played, Commander. Well played."

Laughing, Ruby crossed the CIC, heading for the comm. room at the back. She nodded at Doctor Chakwas, who stood off to the side, bickering with one of the crewmen about medication or something.

When the crew of the Normandy was being assembled, it was a no-brainer of who should be CMO, considering Ruby's involvement. Besides being a friendly face, Chakwas was the most adept in Ruby's own biology and what little was learned of her speed. If anything happened to reveal more about her powers, Alliance Intelligence didn't want some bumbling medic missing potential data. On a more personal note, it felt good to have her surrogate mother aboard

The door hissed shut, cutting off the noise of the CIC as Ruby walked down the small ramp that led to the circular communications room. Both Captain Anderson and Nihlus were present, watching something on the main screen set against the far wall.

As she approached, the Turian turned to her, face curling into a smile. "Ruby. It's good to see you again."

"The feeling is mutual, Nihlus," Ruby replied, holding out a hand which he immediately shook. "It's been... what? A year and half since we've last seen each other?"

"Five actually. I don't know why you keep on insisting you saw me at that bakery."

"Why? I said hi, you told me not to blow your cover. The fact that we interacted means we saw each other."

"I was in the middle of an important investigation and you almost blew it."

"And that investigation involved you getting two dozen of the finest dextro donuts?"

The room fell into silence. Nihlus' mandibles twitched awkwardly.

Ruby grinned impishly. "Were they good donuts?"

"I couldn't say. As I said, that incident never happened."

Her grin only grew wider. "Sure it didn't."

Nihlus cleared his throat. "Accusations of pastries aside, I have some concerns about your ground team. Transferring Private Jenkins away at the last minute wasn't the best decision."

Ruby sighed. She had wondered when the topic would come up. Originally she had two members for her ground team; Lieutenant Alenko and Private Jenkins, a marine fresh from basic and eager for a fight.

She couldn't bear to look at him.

"It was to me," she said firmly, then broke off as her voice cracked. "I just... I can't go through that again."

"Agaus?"

Ruby's eyes snapped up. "How do you know about that?"

"I have access to your records," said Nihlus softly. "Though I have my reservations, I can respect your decision. I can imagine something like that, whatever it was, can leave scars on anyone."

Ruby couldn't help but snort. That was putting it lightly.

 _A mission left incomplete._

"But I wouldn't worry about it too much. The Council has made already made their decision on the matter. Agaus, though controversial, won't affect your candidacy. In fact, I don't think anything can screw you over at this point."

Ruby blinked at him curiously. _Candidacy?_ "What are you talking about?"

"All Spectres have skeletons in the closet," said Nihlus, grinning slightly. "But don't worry. Your secret is safe with me."

Ruby's jaw dropped as his words registered. The Spectres. The elite of the elite in the whole galaxy! Agents of the Citadel Council, second to none.

"Me?" she gasped. "A _Spectre_?"

"I suppose there's no point hiding it anymore," said Anderson, turning around with a broad smile on his face. "Ruby, I'm sure you're aware of how much the Alliance has been pushing you as their spokesmen. Not just for the benefit of Alliance, but also to get you noticed by the Council. We've been trying for years to get our own Spectre after the last candidate... failed." He scowled briefly, then continued. "Spectres represent the Council's power and authority. If they accept a human into their rank, it will prove just how far humanity has come."

Anderson smiled proudly. "And I couldn't think of a better soldier than you."

"He's right," said Nihlus. "But more than a mere soldier, you're an icon that people look up to."

"I just do what I have to," Ruby shrugged. "It's what anyone would do."

"Does a normal soldier spend months, almost years on end patrolling the Attican Traverse, rushing to the aid of any colony in distress? They call you the Protector of the Traverse out there. Defending a colony, that's what a soldier would do. But you? You stay and help them rebuild, I've seen it. There are more pictures of you comforting a child after an attack then I care to count. You're a good person, Ruby. People look up to you for that."

Ruby shook her head. "It's what anyone should do," she said softly. "I shouldn't be a hero just because of that. I'm... well, you're right. I am a good person, but I'm no hero." Elysium was proof of that.

"People would disagree, and not just humans either. Even the Council admits it. You're the first human they've actually been pushing to join the Spectres. Abilities like yours... well, the Council doesn't want to waste this opportunity."

"So I'm just a bargaining chip, huh?" Ruby glanced at Anderson questioningly. "The Alliance gets their Spectre and the Council gets me, is that it?"

The Captain had the decency to look a _little_ sheepish as he nodded.

"Both the Alliance and the Council believe that you are the perfect fit," said Nihlus. "However it won't be an instant promotion. You'll still need to be instructed in Spectre protocol and regulations. Yes, even Spectres have some rules they need to follow. That's why I'm here. This will be the first of several missions together to fully evaluate your skills and teach you the necessary edicts."

Ruby's face furrowed in confusion. "So a simple shakedown run is going to be one of these missions? Shouldn't be something a little more... I don't know, dangerous?"

"This is far from a simple shakedown run," said Anderson. "We're performing a covert pickup on Eden Prime."

"Still, I thought it would be tougher. What's the cargo?"

"A Prothean Beacon."

Her eyes widened. Ruby had heard of Prothean Beacons well enough. Ancient pieces of technology, containing priceless data or designs. The last time humanity had discovered one it had jump started their technology by two hundred years. Finding working Prothean tech was rare enough, but to find an intact Beacon? No wonder this mission was kept top secret, and being overseen by a Spectre.

Joker was right for a change.

But a Beacon?

Beacon.

Now why did that single word give her the strangest sense of deja-vu?

"It was dug up just a few weeks ago," Anderson continued, pulling her out of her thoughts. "Unfortunately, Eden Prime doesn't have the proper facilities to study it properly. Obviously this goes far beyond mere human interests. Our orders are to bring it to the Citadel as soon as possible for proper study. Who knows what may come of it?"

"Sounds easy enough," said Ruby after a moment of thought. "Not exactly the toughest job. Still, it'll be good to work with you again, Nihlus."

"I don't think me babysitting you during your examinations qualifies as working together," Nihlus interjected, but not unkindly. "However, if you insist on stopping by every gun shop in the galaxy, the next few months will be quite... _strenuous_."

"No promises. Some of the best mods are hard to find, after all," Ruby grinned.

"We should be getting close to Eden Prime," Anderson stepped in. "I'll-"

" _Captain!_ " Joker's urgent voice interrupted over the intercom. " _We have a problem._ "

Anderson looked up to the speakers hidden in the ceiling. "What's wrong, Joker?"

" _Transmission from Eden Prime, sir. You better see this!_ "

"Bring it up on screen."

The three of them watched as the screen flickered once before erupting into chaos. It was the grainy feed from someone's helmet cam, jerking back and forth, showing split second images of marines firing at unknown hostiles. The overwhelming sound of gunfire pervaded over all. Suddenly, the bearer of the camera was shoved to the ground, the black dirt of Eden Prime filling the screen for a moment before it shifted again, revealing the panicked face of a marine.

" _We are under attack!_ " the man shouted, ducking as rounds flew by his head. " _Taking heavy causalities. I repeat: Heavy causalities! We can't... argh!... -eed evac! They came out of nowhere! We need-_ "

A bloody hole erupted from the marine's chest. Ruby winced as blood splattered the feed with flecks of red and the body collapsed to the ground.

The helmet wearer was starting to panic, the feed jerking back and forth as a loud, overpowering thrumming overcame the gunfire. The feed stabilized for a moment, staring up into the sky as what appeared to be a giant metallic hand, crackling with red lightning reached down from the sky. The feed jerked one last time before cutting to static, leaving the three in stunned silence.

" _Everything cuts out after that,_ " said Joker. " _No comm. traffic at all. Just goes dead. There's nothing._ "

Anderson's eyes narrowed. "Reverse and hold at 38.5."

The video rewound, pausing on the monstrosity falling from the sky. Now that she could see it clearly, Ruby thought it looked like the prow of a ship. She could just barely see the aft of the vessel, hidden by clouds in the dark sky.

 _A mission left incomplete._

But there was something else about it. A feeling of... wrongness emanated from the vessel. A small twinge of pain shot through her skull as she remembering the sound. Whatever that _thing_ was, it didn't belong here.

"Status report!" Anderson barked.

" _Seventeen minutes out, Captain. No other Alliance ships in the area._ "

A grim silence settled over the group. They were on their own.

The Captain took a steadying breath. "Take us in Joker. Fast and quiet. This mission just got a lot more complicated."

"A small strike team can move quickly without drawing attention," said Nihlus, turning to Anderson. "It's our best chance to secure the beacon."

Anderson nodded in agreement. "Grab your gear and meet us in the cargo hold."

The Turian turned and hurried out of the comm. room. As the door shut behind him, Ruby glanced at the Captain.

"What about the colony?" she asked, her earlier playful attitude gone. "We can't just pickup and abandon them."

"We're doing all we can, Commander," said Anderson. "You might have held off an invasion before, but the Normandy is one ship. We can't fight off an invasion fleet by ourselves."

He rested a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I know how much this means to you, but the beacon is our top priority. Understood?"

She glared at him for moment before nodding stiffly. "Understood, sir."

"Tell Alenko to suit up and stand by. You're going in hot.


	9. Chapter 9

The deck beneath her feet shuddered as the Normandy cut through the atmosphere of Eden Prime, heading for the drop zone. Ruby slipped the helmet over her head with ease, sealing it to the bodysuit with a slight hiss. She blinked, activating the Heads-Up-Display.

Of course, the standard Alliance marine headgear was nowhere near this advanced. The helmet was designed by Alliance Intelligence, made specifically with her speed in mind. The HUD was vaguely reminiscent of the flight systems found in fighter craft, noting her altitude, speed, and other relevant data. The small motion sensor on the other hand was next to useless when she was running. It just wasn't fast enough on the uptake to realize that the meteors flying by were actually people and not the bullets it thought they were, but it was useful enough when she remained stationary for a few seconds.

After a quick retinal scan, the visor lit up and lines of data scrolled before her eyes. She banished it with a blink and the display cleared, revealing the darkened interior of the cargo bay. Beside her, Kaidan checked through his equipment. He didn't seem particularly troubled that it was only the two of them. That, or he was hiding his true feelings well.

Across from them, Captain Anderson watched something on his omni-tool, frowning deeply. Behind him, Nihlus went over his own equipment. Though her obsession with weapons hadn't faded over the years, she had learned to contain her reactions. Still, she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the rather plain HMWSG Master-Line shotgun he carried. Granted, it was an upgrade from that last shotgun he had, but she had upgraded that one personally. It was ten times better than the Master-Line model... in her opinion, anyway. It had been the prototype for the upgrades in Crescent Rose... but nothing would ever be greater than her baby, of course.

She quickly reached a hand over her shoulder and touched the grip of the HVSS, confirming it was still there. A quick slap to her thigh said the same for her pistol. Ready, she crossed her arms, settling down to wait as the Normandy shook again.

She didn't like the turn of events this mission had taken. Picking up the Beacon was something she could do in her sleep, blindfolded. But to walk through a suffering colony to get there was something she couldn't ignore. She was still furious with Anderson about leaving the colony, even if years of training with the N7s kept her emotions in check. But after a few minutes of reasoning, the sad reality had dawned on her.

They didn't know how long ago the attack started, either a few hours or even days, giving this unknown enemy plenty of time to work. For all they knew the whole colony could have been wiped out by now. If that was the case, the likelihood that anyone had survived was small and dropping by the second.

"Stay focused," said Nihlus, coming over and gripping her shoulder. "I know that look of yours. The Beacon is our priority, remember that.."

"I'm not abandoning anyone," Ruby shot back vehemently. "If I see anyone, I'm getting them out. You stay on the Beacon. I can catch up easily enough."

Nihlus considered her words for a moment then nodded reluctantly. Ruby was right after all. She was, without a doubt, the fastest person alive. Nihlus could move quickly enough on his own. Though in all reality, _he_ would be the one slowing her down.

"We're still in the dark about enemy forces," said Anderson, coming over. "We're dropping you on the outskirts of the colony. In their last report the science team said they were ready to move the Beacon to the space port. I would start looking there."

"Understood sir," said Kaidan.

Ruby and Nihlus shared a glance.. "Umm, I hate to break it to you, Lieutenant, but you're not coming with us," Ruby grimaced, hoping he took the news well.

To his credit, Kaidan only blinked at the new information. "What?"

"As this is part of her Spectre trials the Commander and I are going alone," Nihlus explained. "I mean no offence, Lieutenant, but we would move faster without you. You'll be our backup in case things go wrong."

Again, to his credit, Kaidan didn't appear too disappointed. A true marine through and through. Though some small part of Ruby was glad he wasn't coming along. They had only met when the crew of the Normandy was being assembled after all, so a few days ago at most. She had lost too many friends already, and she had grown fond of him during their sort time together. The tingling in her gut told her something would go wrong, and she didn't want him around when it happened. Together, she and Nihlus could handle whatever the galaxy threw at them.

" _Approaching the drop point_ ," Joker's voice rang over the intercom.

The cargo bay door hissed opened, revealing a blood red sky hanging above the green landscape. Eden Prime was considered a paradise, perfectly structured to keep the natural beauty of the colony and maintain productivity. That meant that the small settlements all around the planet were surrounded by miles of beautiful farmland.

But for Ruby it was like reliving her terrifying run through the fires of Mindoir.

The modest collection of homes and warehouses below them were burning, belching black smoke into the sky. Ruby felt her ire rise, her hands clenching into fists. Now that she could see the damage, the likelihood of survivors was dropping even faster. Whoever did this would pay.

"The mission is yours, Commander!" Anderson shouted over the rushing wind. "Good luck."

Ruby broke into a run, then jumped out of the cargo bay. For brief moment she relaxed, feeling the wind rush past and the instant of weightlessness as she reached the top of her arch. Then gravity reasserted control and pulled her down. Unconcerned, she twirled gracefully, getting her feet beneath her and landed lightly in a crouch. The kinetic dampeners in her boots did their job, negating the impact to almost nothing. Recovering quickly, she whipped out her pistol, scanning the area with a critical eye.

Clear.

Nihlus landed beside her with a grunt, bringing his own weapon to bare. With the drop off successful, the Normandy tipped its nose up and roared off into the blood red sky. They were on their own.

"Nice landing," the Turian said, swapping his shotgun for an assault rifle on his back. Ruby took one look at it and stared incredulously. Nihlus caught her gaze. "Short notice," he grunted.

"That's no excuse," Ruby retorted. "You don't take crap to a battlefield."

"It was cheap."

"Oh come on! That's even worse."

They had set down in a small clearing surrounded by lush trees, less than a kilometer away from the settlement. If intel was correct then the spaceport would be on the far side. They would have to go through the burning settlement to get there and possibly unknown enemy hostiles.

Convinced the area was clear, Ruby holstered her pistol and pulled out Crescent Rose.

 _A mission left incomplete._

She shook her head, trying to clear her mind as she readied the massive sniper rifle hybrid. The HVSS was better suited for a situation like this. Long range and powerful enough to punch through any tree the enemy used for cover. And she still loved her baby... even if it did have its mental side effects.

 _A mission left incomplete._

Together they started forward, moving quickly through the trees towards the settlement, their weapons at the ready. Nothing moved in between the trees. The distant rattle of gunfire startled them for a second, though it vanished just as quickly.

Though she kept her eyes peeled for hostiles, Ruby still kept searching for any survivors. Those hiding and peeking out like a cornered fox. In a situation like this it would be all too easy to mistake them for an enemy.

But there was nothing.

"What happened?"

Ruby spared Nihlus a glance before returning it to her scope. "What do you mean?"

"Agaus," he said, making her stiffen. "What happened?"

"Is this really the time?" she asked, swallowing her trepidation. "I mean, with us here in hostile territory with possible death lurking around every corner and all that?"

"No time like the present."

"Good a reason as any... but why?"

He fixed her with a firm look. "Because I know you."

They reached the edge of the settlement and pressed themselves again the wall of a warehouse. Before Ruby could push around the corner, Nihlus grabbed her shoulder, pulling her back gently. "Ruby, please. I had to babysit you for almost a year on the Citadel. I know you."

Ruby blinked, looking deep into his eyes. "Okay... what about it?"

"You think I haven't noticed? Jenkins. You did everything you could to keep him on the ship."

"So?"

He sighed explosively."You're scared, Ruby."

"No I'm not," she shook her head. "I'm just... being careful."

"So you sent away a fully trained marine based on a _feeling_?"

Ruby swallowed, staring down at the ground. Despite his accusations she didn't feel a shred of guilt. She'd done the right, no matter what he said.

 _A mission left incomplete._

"Why?" Nihlus demanded softly, pressing against her side, offering the comfort of his support. She accepted, leaning against him as she slumped against the wall.

"Why? What does it matter to you?" she finally retorted.

"Because you're not the same," said Nihlus softly. He took her hand, holding it softly. "The Ruby I know wouldn't run from her troubles. But this? You're hurting, everyone can see that."

"E-Everyone?" she stammered, looking up with wide eyes.

"Well, not everyone," he admitted, then blinked sadly at her. "Ruby, please. It hurts to see you like this. What's wrong? What happened down there?"

It should have been so easy to tell him... but it wasn't. Their faces were burned into her memory forever. Her men, the colonists... one endless nightmare.

And that noise... that damned humming never stopped, driving her to insanity.

And the mission...

 _A mission left incomplete._

"I can't," she said quietly, brushing away Nihlus' hand. "It's..."

A bullet pinged off the wall above them. They both ducked, whirling around to face their attacker. A lone humanoid had just turned the corner of the warehouse. Its shape was vaguely Quarian, but the single glowing eye in the center of its arching head destroyed any hope that this thing was organic in any way.

Crescent Rose thundered once and the robot's head exploded in a shower of sparks and white hydraulic fluid. As the body fell, the sounds of tramping feet and mechanical whirring came from the same direction it had come.

Ruby cursed quietly. Why of all times did she have to get distracted now? It almost got them killed.

"Geth," Nihlus growled after examining the body for a moment. "What the hell are they doing this far outside the Veil?"

"I don't think that really matters right now," said Ruby, cycling the cooling hatch of Crescent Rose.

"You're right. Flank them. Go!"

Activated her speed, Ruby blazed around the warehouse and ended up behind the incoming squad of Geth. They were just about to turn the corner when Crescent Rose fired again, tearing through another unfortunate synthetic. The Geth whirled around, but Ruby was already gone, leaving a flurry of rose petals in her wake.

Her distraction was all Nihlus needed to rush out and gun down a Geth trooper before diving through the window of a nearby house.

By then the Geth had realized just who they were fighting, but it was already too late. Ruby bolted around the battlefield, firing Crescent Rose with deadly precision. In less than a minute the whole group lay in tatters.

"Clear," Ruby called out, nudging one of the broken machines with her boot.

"I can see that. Nice work," said Nihlus, emerging from cover to stand beside her. He scowled down at the bodies. "The Council isn't going to like this." He turned away, heading toward the spaceport. "They must be here for the Beacon. We need to hurry." He paused, looking over his shoulder. "We're not done talking about this you know."

Ruby sighed, her shoulders sagging. Of course they weren't. "Just not in the middle of battlefield, alright?"

"Agreed."

Together they advanced through the ruined settlement, wary of an ambush. But the Geth seemed to have abandoned the area and moved else where. More disturbing was the lack of any bodies. So far as she knew, the Geth didn't take prisoners. If they weren't dead then where were they?

They cleared the settlement, then moved to a small overhang overlooking what must have been the dig site. Scattered pieces of equipment lay around haphazardly, as if dropped in hurry. Nihlus tapped Ruby on the shoulder and pointed out the tire tracks of a ATV heading up a ramp to a small research camp further up the ridge.

The camp was abandoned and destroyed much like the settlement. Nothing even worth salvaging. And still there weren't any bodies. They crested a hill behind it and saw one of the space port cargo pads laid out before them. It was a simple loading dock covered in crates with a cargo tram at the back heading off to the main space port a few kilometers away.

They carefully picked their way down the slope, eyes peeled for anything, but still there were no Geth to be found. They advanced to the platform and crouched against a crate on outskirts. They rechecked their weapons and shared a glance, the unspoken plan passing between them.

Like a well-oiled machine, Nihlus turned around the corner, rifle raised. Then he stiffened in confusion, lowering his weapon. "Saren?"

"Nihlus," came a voice that Ruby new all too well.

"Asshole," she spat, standing. The all-too-familiar Turian standing on the platform scowled at her appearance.

"I see you brought your pet along, Nihlus," said Saren Arterius, strutting towards them. "Keep it on a leash, will you?."

Ruby scowled. She had never liked the Turian. The first time they met he had called her a freak of nature, undeserving of the attention of the Council. That, and he was just a general asshole to everyone. Not to mention his general appearance put her on edge, with his bare face and synthetic arm. But more than that, there was something... _off_ about him. Ruby couldn't place it, but something didn't feel right. His whole demeanour was wrong.

"What are you doing here, Saren?" Nihlus demanded as they moved forward, his weapon hanging loosely by his side. "This isn't your mission."

"The Council though you could use some help on this one," Saren replied coolly.

"For a covert pick up on a peaceful planet?" Ruby asked suspiciously. "Easiest job in the book."

"For a Turian, yes. But I wouldn't trust something like this to a human's incompetence."

Ruby's jaw clenched, but managed to keep her temper in check. "So the Council sent _you_ to watch over me? Wow. I must be more important than I thought."

Now it was Saren's turn to look furious. "Now whatever gave you that idea? The Beacon is why I'm here. Not you."

"But how did you know about it?" Nihlus asked, stepping up to the fellow Turian. "It's classified on a need to know basis."

Saren shook his head with a chuckle and patted his friend on the shoulder. "Nihlus, please. This is one of the greatest discoveries of the century. The Council decided not to take chances, so they sent me ahead to secure the site. A good thing too, apparently," he added, looked around at the red sky and the fires in the distance. Then he looked sideways at Ruby, a smirk tugging at his mandibles. "Why the Council trusted humans for this job I'll never know."

"Well, where's the Beacon then?" Ruby demanded, looking around. "It's not here." She smirked at him. "Unless you _lost_ it."

"Don't be ridiculous. It's still at the space port. This is just one of the loading docks."

"Then you must suck at your job," Ruby grinned. "Securing the Beacon, huh? Mighty fine job so far."

She expected Saren to rise to the bait. Instead, he gave her a shark like grin that made her heart sink. "Oh, mark my words, human, the Beacon is secure."

"By who?" asked Nihlus. "You didn't bring reinforcements did you?"

Saren's grin grew wider as he turned and looked up into the sky. "Something like that."

Ruby was about to ask just what he was talking about when something parted the clouds above them. It was the same ship from the distress beacon, a hulking dreadnought of blueish grey metal. Strangely enough it looked like a giant cuttlefish, or a titanic, claw-like hand descending from the heavens. Red lightning crackled along its length as its mass effect core kept it in the air. It landed, shaking the ground beneath their feet.

Then a noise rent the air and Ruby's head exploded in agony. It sounded like the screaming of the damned, coming from inside her own skull. She screamed, dropping to her knees and clutching her head as the dreadful shriek assaulted her ears.

 _A mission left incomplete._

It was impossible to think, the noise drowning out everything else as he rolled onto her back, still screaming as she writhed on the ground. The sky was red, clouds twisting and turning in her vision as a hurricane grew above her. Was she hallucinating?

Suddenly Nihlus appeared above her, face etched with worry.

"Ruby? _Ruby_?!" he shouted, his words faint and distant. He grabbed her shoulders, holding her down. "Ruby, talk to me! What's wrong?"

Another wave of agony tore through her skull as the noise again echoed over the hills.

 _A mission left incomplete._

"Normandy, come in!" Nihlus shouted into his radio. "The Commander is down! I repeat, the Commander is down! Requesting immediate evac!"

The rest of his words faded another wash of pain hit her, fading only when Nihlus finished. "Shit, this isn't good. Saren, cover us! Kept an eye out for anymore Geth. We'll have to finish this on our own."

Then came a moment of perfect clarity. The world snapped into focus as the hellish noise faded for a single moment and Ruby saw everything. Saren was looming behind Nihlus. His eyes seemed to glow a sinister blue... and his pistol was pointed squarely at Nihlus' head.

"Don't worry," he said smoothly, steadying his aim. "I have everything under control."

Saren fired. Ruby's vision turned blue as blood painted her visor. In the same instant, something smashed her in the forehead. Then everything faded away into darkness.

 _A mission left incomplete._

-ooo000ooo-

"A pity. Nihlus always was a good friend."

"Such sacrifices have to be made, I'm afraid. You should be proud. Few are able to put aside their own concerns, objections and friends for the sake of the greater good."

Saren nodded. She was right, as always. He strolled along one of the walkways of the space port, heading towards the platform where he knew the Beacon would be. His Geth forces hurried about, loading up the bodies of dockworkers, scientists and Alliance personnel onto dropships to be taken up to his ship, Sovereign.

He didn't know why she wanted them brought on board, but it was the least he could do in return for her assistance.

As a matter of fact, he did know much about _her_ at all. The mysterious figure walked beside him, form hidden by a long black cloak. Her voice was distinctly Human, though there some oddities that he chose to ignore.

Saren first encountered her with the research team studying Sovereign. The ancient dreadnought had been orbiting some worthless planet deep in the Perseus Veil, discovered by a now long-dead Batarian entrepreneur. The Woman had been advising the research team, though strangely enough she wasn't a part of their group. But under her guidance they had discovered so much more about the ship, beyond any of their expectations.

When Saren had claimed the dreadnought as his own, he had invited her to come along. She knew more about the dreadnought's systems than anyone and was an asset in more ways than one. She went with him almost everywhere, a constant adviser. Much like Benezia, but more... understanding, in a sense.

People always said that great minds think alike.

"Still, it was a pity," said Saren. "Humans. I still loath them. I'd raze every one of their planets to the ground... but my mission is much too important to let my hubris get in the way."

"Wise words," the woman said softly.

"Indeed," Saren preened. He searched his mind, but the name of the woman eluded him. He was sure he'd heard it before. "Though the death of the Commander was..."

"Two birds with one stone?"

"Unfortunate," he corrected. "I'd rather stay off the Alliance's radar. Killing their hero will certainly do that."

"Ah, my apologies."

They walked in silence for ways. Or rather, he walked. The woman just seemed to glide over the ground, her cloak billowing lightly in an invisible breeze.

"I've heard stories about this Commander. Tell me, did she have silver eyes?" the woman asked suddenly.

"She did," said Saren. "Why?"

An audible smile entered her voice. "No reason. What was her name?"

"Ruby Rose," Saren said dismissively.

The woman froze. It took him a moment to realize she had fallen behind.

"Ruby Rose. Are you sure?" The woman demanded, hurrying to catch up.

"Yes," he nodded, approached the glowing Beacon. Again, the woman had helped with its activation. She knew a substantial amount about ancient technology, no matter what its make. First the dreadnought and now this.

"That's impossible," she snarled. "That name died a long time ago."

She stopped as Saren stepped up to the Beacon, letting it lift him off the ground as it transferred its message directly into his mind. And he still couldn't remember her name.

-ooo000ooo-

 **Councillor,**

 **I can't express how relived I and the other Primarchs are.**

 **Don't take it the wrong way, but we can't deny that Commander Rose is one of the biggest unknowns of this century. I can respect the Systems Alliance and their military prowess, even if they are in possession of some unknown super weapon.**

 **But Rose? She is a WMD on another scale entirely. We haven't seen this level of concentrated destruction since the first gunpowder rifle was invented. She's dangerous, we all agree on that.**

 **Your announcement that she was to be the first Human Spectre was well received. Finally she can be monitored properly. Though it's entertaining to see the pirates and slavers taken down a notch, it's hard to keep an eye on her when she's out in the Traverse. Call me paranoid, but the Alliance can't just be wasting her on endless patrols. Either it's a PR run or she was up to something else.**

 **I really don't care what you do with her when she is made a Spectre, just please keep us informed. Maybe send her to the Asari. That Project of theirs sounds... interesting.**

 **Sincerely,**

 **Primarch Fedorian**

 **Turian Hierarchy Command**

 **Councillor Tevos,**

 **Greetings,**

 **Now that it has been confirmed that Miss Rose shall become a Spectre, shall we proceed with Project Matrimony?**

 **If that is the case, then I feel obligated to tell that Miss Rose may not survive. A rather... unfortunate conclusion. If she were an Asari then there might be a better chance. No matter. We shall simply have to limit her daily exposure.**

 **Our test subjects are ready. If everything goes well we might be able to replicate her powers within a few short years. Granted, this has never been tried before, even among our own species, but it might be the only chance we have.**

 **As for assigning her to the Project, simply tell the rest of the Council that it is 'for science.' We're sure they'll understand.**

 **Hoping,**

 **The Matriarch Council**

 **P.S.**

 **Me first.**

 **M.A.**

 **Valern,**

 **We've cracked the sarcophagus.**

 **Keep an eye on Observation Subject 04: Rose. I'll contact you when I have more information.**

 **STG Director,**

 **Section 37**


	10. Chapter 10

That did not just happen.

Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams stared, dumbstruck. She didn't dare move a muscle, she didn't dare to even breath. Buried under a small mountain of fallen MREs she lay motionless, trying to blend in with the brown packages.

Everything had gone to hell faster than a starship at FTL. One minute her squad was out on patrol, the next they were rushing back to secure the Beacon from the attacking Geth. It was blind luck she was still alive. A grenade had blown her back into a pile of crates. That wasn't so bad, she would've walked away with few bruises for sure, but it was the crate to the back of her head that knocked her out cold. When she came to, her squad was gone and she was buried beneath a mountain of food. But she woke up just in time to witness Saren execute his fellow Turian and the Commander. A clean shot to the back of the his head, going through his skull and into the Commander's helmet, dropping them both like flies.

She should have done something, but without a weapon she could only watch in horror. She didn't dare reveal herself. She had her sidearm, but grabbing it would require movement. If Saren was willing to kill a Spectre and Alliance marine then what would he do to her?

Saren crouched, examined the bodies for a moment before turning and heading off the cargo tram. Ashley heard it power up before pulling out of the station. Only then did she dare move her head to make sure he was truly gone. She was sore and her head hurt something awful. But she was alive, and that was more than she could say for her team. Reluctantly, she pushed away the thoughts of her dead friends. It would only serve to distract her now.

Ashley picked her way out of the mountain of food packs, keeping an eye out for approaching Geth. She picked up her fallen rifle, its comforting weight settling in her hands as she scanned the area with renewed confidence. After making sure nothing was sneaking up on her, Ashley crept over and pushed aside the dead Turian.

-ooo000ooo-

Awareness returned with a vengeance. Ruby groaned meekly, wincing as her head pounded away inside her helmet. Then she froze at the dead face of Nihlus above her and the blood splatered across her visior.

Nihlus... _dead_?

A noise nearby startled her before she could fall into her grief. A small rustling sound followed by footsteps. _Saren._ Ruby's jaw clenched in anger, though she forced her body to stay slack. He probably thought she was dead. Better to keep it that way, then plug him with a hole in between his...

She forced herself to take a deep breath. Getting angry wouldn't help at all. She had to stay focused. No easy feat, considering her head was pounding like a drum at a Krogan funeral. She thanked whatever gods there where that her helmet had held. Alliance Intelligence sure knew what they were doing while making her gear.

And Nihlus... even in death he'd saved her life yet again. A tear threatened to leak out as she stared up into his glazed eyes The footsteps drawing near pulled her back to the present. There would be time for mourning later, right now she needed to deal with that backstabbing son of a bitch.

The footsteps stopped right beside her. Ruby could picture the look on his face, gloating down at the corpses. She forced her body limp, keeping her breathing as slow as possible. She would only have one chance at this.

There was silence for a full minute, then a light rustle as someone knelt beside her and pushed Nihlus away.

 _Now._

Ruby lashed out, delivering a solid hay-maker to the head that appeared above her. The figure reeled back, stunned. Taking advantage, Ruby twisted, kicking its legs out from under it. The figure fell and she was on it in an instant, drawing and shoving her pistol in the bastard's smug little face.

Then reality caught up with her and Ruby found herself staring into the stunned face of an Alliance Marine. Ruby didn't pull away. Years of ingrained training screamed at her that it could be a trap.

"Name and rank?" she demanded through clenched teeth.

The marine swallowed, but kept her voice calm. Not an easy thing, considering she was staring down the gun barrel of a superior officer. "Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams of the 212th, stationed on Eden Prime, ma'am."

Ruby held her gaze for moment, weighing her words. Then she sighed tiredly, rolling off Willams and dropping her pistol. Her head pounded away with renewed fury.

They lay there, panting.

"Are you alright, ma'am?" Ashley asked at last, breaking the silence that stretched between them.

Despite everything that had just happened, Ruby chuckled, then winced and clutched at her head. "I think I should be asking you that, Williams."

Ashley looked at her, incredulously. "You just got shot, ma'am."

"And I just kicked your ass."

The marine scowled, but nodded reluctantly. "I'm alright, ma'am. You?"

"Just peachy," Ruby moaned. "My head is trying to kill me, the Geth really are trying to kill me... and Saren just shot one of my best friends," she finished with a snarl. "So yeah. Just _peachy_."

"I could say the same, ma'am."

They stared up the sky, content to let the rush of adrenaline fade. Finally, Ashley stood, picking up her rifle. She offered Ruby a hand, then paused, her eyes widening as she realized just who she was helping up.

"You-You're..."

"A pleasure to meet you too, chief." Ruby grinned, taking her hand and letting herself get hauled to her feet. She reached up, feeling the large dent in her helmet. "Yikes. Talk about good workmanship."

Ashley nodded dumbly, still staring, unable to believe that an Alliance Legend was standing before her. Then she steadied herself, burying her awe beneath solid professionalism. "You're here for the Beacon, ma'am?"

"Yeah," said Ruby, wincing as she tried to massage her temples through her helmet.

 _A mission left incomplete._

Not now.

"Saren said it was secured at the spaceport," Ruby continued, "which is most likely crawling with Geth at this point. We need to get it back. You know a way to get there, Ash?" Ruby tilted her head. "Can I call you Ash?"

A low rumbling sound presided the Normandy flying overhead, circling the platform. It took Ruby a moment to remember Nihlus's last dying transmission. Oh, she was going to make Saren pay for this.

The Normandy dropped down, the cargo bay door opening as the ramp lowered. Kaidan ran down, rifle in hand.

"About time, Lieutenant," Ruby called, picking up her pistol.

"We got Nihlus's distress call," said Kaidan jumping down beside them. "What happened?"

"Nihlus is dead," Ruby stated, checking the weapon over. It was hard to keep her emotions in check as she thought of him, but she managed to keep her voice steady. "We have the location of the Beacon. I need you t-"

She stopped, the words dying on her tongue as logic asserted itself into the situation.

Ruby needed him. She need them both. She couldn't just order them back to the Normandy. Under normal circumstances she would have happily sent them away. With her power and skill, she could handle a few hundred Geth just fine. But not in the state she was in. It was hard enough to focus let alone fight.

But she had too. She couldn't let the Beacon fall into Geth hands. And though she hated putting them danger, she needed the two marines.

Ruby silently cursed. She'd lost one friend already, she didn't want to lose another.

"Form up," she said grimly, "lets get this done."

"But what about you?"

"I'm fine." She lied, waving at the cockpit window. The ship hesitated for a moment, then blasted off into the sky.

They were on their own. Her and two marines. What chance did the Geth stand?

"Doctor Chakwas is going to kill me," Kaidan sighed, watching the ship leave.

"Let me guess, she commissioned you to drag me aboard?"

"Ordered, more like it."

Ruby grimaced, knowing what the Doctor's reaction would be. No one disregarded her medical orders and got away with it, especially her. Sometimes having a doctor as an adoptive parent sucked. Though she could go for some pain killers right about now.

But the mission came first. And Saren.

"We'll deal with that later. Williams, you know how to get to the space port?"

-ooo000ooo-

"I thought she was dead."

Saren's face twisted in contempt as he watched the cargo tram approach, carrying the Commander and two others.

"You obviously missed."

"I did not miss," he growled, glaring at the woman beside him. The tram was getting closer, but the bombs were almost set. Soon this place would be nothing more than ash. "You should return to the ship."

"As should you," she replied.

"I'm finishing what I started. Return to the ship, _now_."

"No." The hood turned to face him. "But smart, Saren. Remember what you said? The mission is too important to let your hubris get in the way. She will die here, you can be sure of that."

His mouth twisted in a snarl, words forming on his lips, only to realize that she was absolutely right. Bombs really were the answer to all of life's questions.

"Fine," he growled, stomping off. "Come. We're leaving."

Ignoring him, the woman watched as the tram grew closer, focused fully on the Commander.

The face was... familiar. Uncomfortably familiar.

Ruby Rose.

Yes... that name had been dead for a long time. But here she was, a living Rose.

That was impossible.

"Finish them," she said to the Geth standing nearby before turning and heading back to the Reaper just outside the space port.

What a fool Saren was, thinking he could control the ancient shell. It didn't just take strength to resist the pull of Reaper indoctrination. You just had to know the secret. A secret she hadn't bothered to tell him.

The poor soul was already in her grasp, both metaphorically and literally.

Aura was tricky like that.

-ooo000ooo-

"Look at the size of that thing!"

Ruby winced at Kaidan's words, eyes clenched shut as another jolt of pain shot through her skull. It was getting worse the closer they got to the damned thing. But she gritted her teeth and forced the pain off her face. She just had to stay focused.

 _A mission left incomplete._

"How the hell is it on the ground," Ashley wondered aloud, crouched behind the train's railing. Beside her, Kaidan shrugged.

"Thing's got to have one hell of a power source that's for sure," Ruby replied, bracing herself against another wave of agony.

That damned dreadnought hadn't left, sitting behind the space port and looking down on them like an ancient monolith of destruction. And they were heading straight towards it.

Ruby peeked over the railing. A number of Geth swarmed the platform, but the rest appeared to be pulling out, running back to a number of drop ships parked on the landing pads. But then her eye caught a lone figure standing on a catwalk, watching them from above. A long black cloak obscured her figure and a hood covered her head. But even at this distance Ruby felt their eyes lock. A shiver went down her spine. There was something very, _very_ wrong about her.

Then the woman turned away and vanished, letting Geth snipers take her place.

Ruby ducked down, turning to Ashley and Kaidan. "Okay, this is gonna be tough. Snipers on the catwalks and an unknown number of hostiles." She risked another peek. "At the rate they're pulling out, I'd say they left a little present for us. Kaidan, keep an eye for explosives. If you see any shut them down."

He nodded. "Got it, Commander."

"Ashley, do you know where exactly the Beacon is?"

"No. Sorry, ma'am."

"Then move quick and stay mobile. I'll cover you both from the top and draw their fire. Get to cover as soon as we stop."

"Are you sure, Commander?" Kaidan asked as he peeked over the railing. "There's a lot of them out there."

What were numbers when she could run at the speed of sound? They wouldn't be able to hit her even if they tried.

"I'll be fine, trust me," Ruby smiled reassuringly at them as another flash of pain hit her. "Just stay in cover, call your targets and I'll-"

The dreadnought hanging above them unleashed an ungodly shriek. Ruby couldn't hold back her scream as the sound tore through her mind. She fell, clutching her head as she rolled on the ground. She was dimly aware of Ashley and Kaidan hovering over her, their mouths moving in soundless words.

The dreadnought loomed behind them, crystal clear in her swimming vision.

 _A mission left incomplete._

Ruby stared at it, its black shape burned into her memory. Then anger slowly bubbled up inside her, growing with each pulse of pain that shot through her skull.

 _A mission left incomplete._

Ruby's eyes burned in their sockets as the fury mounted. She shoved the two marines away, pushing herself to her feet and snarling at the dark behemoth. The pulses of pain melding with her rising fury, all directed at the ship before her.

 _A mission left incomplete._

Kaidan was shouting something, trying to pull her back behind the railing as the Geth on the platform raised their weapons. Without thinking, Ruby picked up Crescent Rose, the blade unfolding with a rasp of steel that echoed in her ears.

 _A mission left incomplete._

It was hard to think as rage consumed her entire being, the pounding in her head reaching a peak. Suddenly she wasn't there anymore. The force from Agaus returned, overriding her thoughts, fusing with them into a voice that wasn't her own.

 _KILL THEM!_

The train stopped.

The Geth on the platform stood no chance as Ruby darted out, cleaved them in two in a whirlwind of flashing steel, rose petals drifting away in her path.

She ducked, sliding along the ground as a hail of bullets rushed over head. Crescent Rose spun in a whirlwind of steel, slicing through the legs of the offending Geth before cleaving its body in two with the same blow

The remaining synthetics turned to face her, their networked intelligence racing to come up with a strategy. As they closed in, Ruby channeled her speed into her legs and jumped, firing Crescent Rose. The resulting recoil propelled her high into the air. She hung there for a moment, relishing a cold breeze before she fell from on high like an angel of death. Crescent Rose flashed in the bloody light, gleaming with murderous intent.

A Geth trooper was crushed beneath her as she landed, its head smashed in by an armored boot as Crescent Rose cleaved another in two.

Then she lost herself in the flow. There was no conscious thought, only the rage that dictated her every action, an unwilling passenger in her own body. If she saw a Geth, it died, no mercy, no remorse. There was only action and reaction, guided by countless hours of training and the presence behind her eyes as she cut down the Geth one by one.

 _A mission left incomplete._

The pounding in her skull grew worse as she rushed forward, tearing into a group of reinforcements that appeared from the side. Though the rage continued to burn strong, her own pain soon became too great to ignore. Suddenly she couldn't breath. Her own thoughts emerged through the chaos and she was...

 _...back against the wall, tears pouring down her face as a blade flashed in the darkness..._

 _A mission left incomplete._

Ruby stumbled, gasping as the vision flashed across her eyes. She recovered a modicum of control, but she couldn't stop. Recovering, she jumped, slashing down at...

 _...a pale face. A young boy, barely five years old fell in a pool of his own blood..._

 _A mission left incomplete._

Ruby screamed, kicking away the lifeless body of the Geth. Everything was rushing back. Her vision blurred, tears pouring down her cheeks as her breath came in short, painful gasps.

" _ **...Are you afraid?...**_ _"_

 _A pair of glowing eyes hung in the dark, laughing as she cut them down one by one._

" _ **Don't cry... this is your duty, after all.**_ _"_

A bullet bullet caught her in the shoulder. A red spark jumped as the bullet bounced off her armor, deflected by...something. She didn't know what. She couldn't think clearly. Her body felt numb, like she was slowly drifting away.

Fighting to stay standing, Ruby turned and saw the last group of Geth holding their ground on the far side of the port. Behind them loomed the Beacon, glowing with a soft green energy.

Ruby snarled, the rage taking hold once again as she charged.

The Geth fired and she dodged, launching herself high into the air with another shot from Crescent Rose. She descended on the Geth like a meteor, screaming bloody murder.

But it seemed like that was the plan all along.

As she fell, the Geth dropped their rifles, priming the grenades strapped to their chests. Even through her anger, Ruby saw it coming. She twisted in the air, getting Crescent Rose pointed down before taking aim and firing.

Her aim was true.

The Geth exploded in a burst of fire, the shock wave throwing Ruby off course. She hit the ground hard, the impact tearing Crescent Rose from her grip as she rolled. Her back struck the Beacon... then everything went white.

-ooo000ooo-

 _...Death..._

 _...Destruction..._

 _...A sky so black that even the stars ceased to exist. Fire rained..._

 _...a force below. They never faltered, not even when the sky itself fell around them. Black twisted..._

 _Reapers descended from the sky, racking the ground with fiery beams of pure energy. Hundreds fell, but more rallied under their last..._

 _...held for three hours, fighting to the last man._

 _...husks swarming the trenches. At the top of a lone hill, the last survivor stood, watching the destruction of his..._

 _...no remorse. They had died for a purpose and their sacrifice would not..._

 _...finality, he pushed the Beacon into the pit, burying it for the next..._

 _...was secured. Now he could die in peace._

" _And so our history comes to a close." The voice was deep and calm, despite the chaos around it._

 _Ruby wanted to scream as the images washed over her. So much death... a sky so black... an endless nightmare. Her body was going cold, her fingers going numb as flashes of comprehension assaulted her mind amidst the chaos of the vision. Her brain felt like it was about to explode._

" _This is how it ends... I couldn't ask for a greater purpose."_

" _...my men still have hope... of the vengeance that will come upon our enemy."_

 _She couldn't feel her arms. They weren't numb, they just... weren't there. Something was wrong._

" _...They will die here in the name of the Prothean Empire. But I will die with my..."_

 _Her heart was slowing down. Each beat was long and laborious... trailing off into nothing. Everything was going cold as her mind faded away._

 _...hand clenched around his sword as he stared out into the distance, meeting a pair of silver eyes in the far future. A single thought flowed between the two persons, a message passed down after thousands of years. A single string of... that bore the weight the entire galaxy._

" _...granted me the name our last hope. Now go, Ruby Rose. Free the galaxy of this curse once and for all."_

 _Then everything faded away as her mind went blank and darkness seeped in, filled with a high, unending tone._

 _Frantic noises..._

 _Shouts for a doctor... a pressure on her chest..._

 _But nothing seemed to matter... her mind drifting away into oblivion where pain was nothing but a distant memory._

 _Then a voice, rich and feminine._

" _ **Brother... what have you done?**_ _"_

 _Then... nothing._


	11. Chapter 11

**VERY IMPORTANT MESSAGE!**

 **READ AUTHORS NOTES BELOW!**

* * *

"New locks? Dammit." Conrad scowled as he pressed his omni-tool against the door. It snapped open, the lock sparking. "Not that it's a problem, anyway." Trying to look as unassuming as possible, he stepped into the lobby of the Melana apartment complex. It was empty, save for a lone Asari security guard sitting a corner.

She glanced up, scowling as she noticed him. "We're closed, human."

"And I have an appointment," Conrad shot back, tossing a credit chip her way. She caught it, her eyes widening at the sum it contained.

"Don't let me stop you, sir." She flashed him a bright smile, adopting a more friendly demeanour.

Conrad flashed her a mock salute as approached elevator. He paused at the door, taking out another chip. "I'm expecting a pizza in about... oh, thirty to twenty minutes. Think you can let it in?" He tossed her the chip which she caught in the air.

"Whatever you want, sir."

He rode the elevator up to the twentieth floor and headed to the back of the complex. It took him less than a minute to arrive at his destination; a locked apartment with heavy security. He scratched his chin. Motion sensors, biometric locks and a turret if he was remembering everything correctly.

 _But that's not important_ , he thought, dialling a number on his omni-tool. _First things first._

" _Hello, Ilana's Pizza, how may I help you?_ " came the quick yet perky introduction once the call connected.

"Yeah, I'm _famished_ for a triple meat-lovers with extra bacon," Conrad smacked his lips. "To be delivered to room 225 in Melana apartments on the Zakera ward."

" _Of course, sir._ "

"And is it true that if delivery is over twenty five minute than its free?"

" _Yes, sir._ "

"Smashing!" he grinned. "Hurry it up please, I'm starving."

" _Of course, sir. And it goes to?_ "

"Roman," Conrad replied. "Roman Torchwick."

He finalized a few more details before hanging up and returned to contemplating the door. Honestly it wouldn't be that hard to break in. He pressed his hand against the biometric lock, a glyph spinning to life beneath his palm. Another glyph appeared an instant before the door opened, cancelling out the noise it made. He waited a moment, listening carefully. Satisfied that he remained undetected, he cast another glyph. The motion sensors and other electronics sparked, the ruckus muffled by his earlier spell. He listened again, then stepped inside, waving his omni-tool to the turret that popped out of the wall. It read his alias and retracted. Once the panel closed, Conrad cancelled the mute glyph and the surrounding sound returned to normal. He pressed himself against the wall and crept down the short hallway, pressed a glyph against each door he passed, frying the locks from within.

"...wasn't me who called it quits." a male voice said as he approached the connected living room and kitchen at the back. "The traitor had it coming to him."

"Ah give a rest," said another.

"Seriously, why is no one else worried about this?"

"Because its you, Echo 2, shut it," said a third voice, this time female.

Conrad stopped at the corner, listening intently. Three so far, but you never be to careful.

"Alright, settle down," said a forth voice, obviously the leader. "We've got a job to do, Echo team. I don't need you at each others throats before that. Save it for the enemy."

"What enemy?" the first voice grumbled. "We're just nabbing a taxi. How hard can it be?"

"Thanks a lot ya' bastard," the third voice groaned. Conrad couldn't help but agree. Tempting fate was a sure way to get you killed.

"Considering that 'taxi' has been upped to an armored escort, _a lot_ ," the leader replied.

"You're shitting me. What happened?"

"We don't know. The mission report from Eden Prime hasn't come in yet."

"It it the Beacon, sir?" asked the second voice.

"What part of 'we don't know' don't ya' get?" said number three.

"Quiet, both of you! We need... Oh, hold up."

"What now?"

"Update from the Normandy."

Conrad tensed. They were in deeper than he thought.

"The Beacon was just destroyed." the leader announced after a moment. Conrad sighed. Dammit, why did life have to be so difficult?

"By us or them?" voice number three asked.

"It doesn't say," said the leader. "But that doesn't change our mission. The Normandy is pulling into the docks as we speak. You all know your roles. Echo team is with me causing a distraction. Bravo stand by to make the grab, and Delta be ready with the containment unit. The Commander is fast and we need to take her by surprise for this to work."

That was his cue.

"An excellent idea!" Conrad crowed, jumping out from the corner and into plain view. He counted no less than twenty people gathered around a long table in the living room. More then he expected, but okay, he could deal with it. All were well armed with the finest gear, decked out in an unassuming black paint job. He clapped one of them on the shoulder, snatching the datapad out of his hands. He read quickly, ignoring their looks of surprise.

"A good plan," Conrad grinned, tossing the pad aside. "But if you really wanted a plan to capture _the_ _Commander Rose_ , all you had to do was ask. Number one: Containment units don't work. Mainly because I sabotage them all the time, but hey, details. You just need to... well, catch her. Roadrunner style. And I wish you good luck at that. Second..." He pulled a chair from the side and seated himself at the head of the table. "You forgot to take care of me," he finished with a shark like smirk.

The entire room stared at him in shock. Then a man, the leader of the merry band of kidnappers spoke. "Who the hell are you?"

"Call me a devoted fan," Conrad shrugged. "But enough talk. Who's ready to die?"

For a spilt second the entire room froze in disbelief, then reached for their weapon.

Now the table was a marvel of engineering, a blend of current fashion and technology. It featured a built in holo-emiter and communication system. A perfect piece of technology for a group working undercover. It also made for a good piece of cover in a pinch; heavy, able to withstand most small-arms and clamped and wired to the floor, even a Krogan would've struggled to shift it.

Conrad pulsed his Aura and tore it from the floor. A few unlucky mercs found their heads crushed as the table collided with the ceiling. The rest scattered, staggering as the table and bodies crashed to the ground.

A glyph formed in the air as Conrad drew his pistol and fired. The shot passed through the ethereal projection and struck the man behind it with the force of an exploding star. He simply ceased to exist, replaced by a cloud of blood that clogged the air in a layer of crimson. Panic set in as the group clawed for their weapons, trying to find their target through the bloody mist.

Conrad grinned, allowing himself to relax. After so long playing administrator it felt _wonderful_ to be back in action. Another shot pulverized the next target in his sights. He tossed a glyph, beheading a woman with its razor sharp edge as he looked for more targets. By now the group was trying to find cover wherever they could. A few ducked behind the island in the Kitchen.

Killing another merc with a well aimed shot, Conrad pulled out one of the eggs he had brought with him and tossed it behind the island. He heard it shatter, followed shortly by panicked screams. The Sunstrike glyph formed before his pistol as he gunned down the last few mercs with clean efficiency, filling the air with crimson. When the bloody mist faded he could only identify ten of the bodies, the rest having been obliterated by his totally 'OP please nerf' powers.

"Damn," he sighed, casually holstering his pistol. "What a mess."

Still, what better way to send a message?

...

Actually, there _was_ better way to send a message. _Sending_ a message.

He wiped down the table with a rag, stopping to find his egg amidst the corpses it had created. It took him a while to get the table powered up again, but when he did it purred like a kitten. They may have been terrorists, but Cerberus sure knew how to make good gear.

He pulled a clean chair from the kitchen, cracked his knuckles, then brought up the table's communication system. Within moments a hologram appeared before him, baring the face of one of the most wanted men in the galaxy.

"Operative Bradshaw," the Illusive Man said, taking a drag of his cigar. "I trust that..." He trailed off as he noticed Conrad and the carnage behind him. To his credit, the man's expression remained as impassive as ever.

"Mr Verner." He managed to keep his voice remarkably level, in spite of the rage Conrad could see burning in his eyes. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Hmm... Now that's a good question." Conrad scratched his chin, glancing up at the ceiling as he thought. "How about you congratulate me for fucking up your op again."

"Such a... vulgar request."

"But no less true."

The man sighed. "What do you want now, Mr Verner?"

"Straight to the point. I like it," Conrad grinned, leaning forward so he was almost nose to nose with the hologram. "One; your security sucks. Seriously, it took me less than a minute to break in. Two; your men suck balls too. Three..." His carefree visage dropped, replaced with cold, hard anger. "...stay away from Rose."

The Illusive Man sighed. "Mr Verner, please. This-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, heard it before," Conrad interrupted with a grin. "But I swear if you put in a fucking chess analogy I'm gonna be pissed. I get enough of that already. But that's not the point, I don't care what you want with her, I don't even care what you intend to do with her. You won't get her, not while I'm still breathing."

"That can be aranged."

"Yeah, good luck with that," Conrad smirked as he gestured around the room. "Just admit already, you can't do shit. I know everything about your operations and can stop them before they can order a fucking pizza." He voice slowed mysteriously. "Its almost like I have an inside source."

"We both know you're not stupid enough to admit that."

"But if I'm telling the truth?"

Conrad almost laughed at how the Illusive Man's eyes narrowed. The Illusive Man never revealed his emotions, but Conrad was the kind of guy who could get just about anyone to emote.

"Look, TIM, I'd love to sit here and torment you some more, but I have things to do. Just give up already. You'll run your organization dry."

"And you know why we can't do that," the Illusive Man replied.

"I know why you don't _want_ to, but again, not the point." Conrad's face hardened. "I've put up with your shit for long enough. This is your last warning. Stay. Away. From Rose."

"Be reasonable, Mr. Verner," the Man said slowly. "Cerberus can be a very dangerous enemy. You are only one man. You can't fight us forever."

Conrad bit his lip, hiding his smirk behind a raised hand. "Said the demon to the devil... and who says I can't? I've been at this for thirteen years and still going strong. You didn't get here when she appeared and you won't get her now. Trust me, this is for the best."

The Illusive Man tried to speak but Conrad cut him off. "Listen, this is your last warning _Jack Harper_." He saw the Man stiff at his real name but ignored it. "Stay away from Rose or I will hunt you down like the three headed dog you are. I know were you are in that little 'unmarked station' of yours. Think about that for a moment."

With that he threw the table aside, wrenching out the power cables. The screen flickered and died, taking the Illusive Man's stunned visage with it.

He really should have left, C-Sec would be here soon, but there was still something he needed to do. Going around he looted all the bodies, snatching every last credit they had. Soon he had amassed a sizable amount, more than twenty thousand all together. Cerberus may have been corrupt, but they sure knew how to pay well. He put it all together in a single credit chip then separated a small amount and put it on another chip. He placed that on the ruined table with an affectionate pat.

Just then the doorbell rang, heralding the arrival of something delicious.

Licking his lips Conrad hurried to the front door. He readied another glyph, casting the spell just as the door opened. A young Asari stood outside, holding a steaming box aloft. Her uniform was rather... revealing, with a plunging neckline and short skirt. It was a signature of Ilana's Pizza, doubling as a stripper service when necessary, but the young Asari looked like she wished to be anywhere else but here. And judging from the way her lips curled in disgust, his altered appearance was anything but pleasant.

"Triple meat-lovers with extra bacon. Thank you for eating with Ilana's, where your pleasure is our pleasure." She handed over the pizza with a moan that should have been arousing but sounded more like a dying Elcor.

Conrad took it with a smile. "Thank you. I am _famished_." He looked her up and down, trying to make it as clear as possible. "Say, would you like to come in and enjoy it with me? I could use some company."

She scowled angrily. "Screw you, human. I don't do that kind of work."

"Yet you work at Ilana's? No offence but skimpy Asari feeding you pizza is kind of their thing."

"I don't do that," she growled. "I only took this damn job to pay my way through college. _That's it_. Keep your hands to yourself, pervert."

"Well that's rude." Conrad flipped open the box, noting it was real authentic cardboard, a rarity nowadays, and took a bite out a perfect slice. "But I can respect that," he continued, chewing quietly. He handed her the loaded chip, watching with amusement as her eyes almost bugged out of her head. "That should cover everything."

"Th- this is for the pizza?" she stammered, taking the chip and holding it like a bar of solid gold.

"No, that's your tip," Conrad replied, pushing past her into the hall. He shoved another piece in his mouth as he headed to the elevator. "Should handle classes, dorms and anything else you need. You're welcome."

"B-but what about the pizza?" she called out, looking desperately at the chip. No doubt thinking her boss would confiscate it as 'payment.'

"Don't worry. The bill is on the kitchen table," he shouted back through a mouthful. "Just go in and take it, I'm busy."

She rushed in eagerly.

The elevator doors were just about a close when her screams echoed down the hall. Conrad ignored them, taking another bite. Mr Torchwick was going to be a very wanted man in a few hours. He could have left his operation to be discovered naturally, but he needed to leave Admiral Kahoku a tip. The sooner they got Cerberus under control the better.

One more thing thing to take off his checklist. It had taken him months to track down that cell, just in time too. That made it... twenty four operations to capture Ruby foiled by yours truly. Now it was back to his mundane existence as Conrad Verner. Well, as mundane as you can get being a Huntsman masquerading as an ex-Director in a galaxy that had forgotten you.

"Damn it, they owe me big for this." He took another bite and opened his target list. Rose was safe, now it was back to his original mission. Now, where could that bitch possibly be?

-ooo000ooo-

"And the Beacon?"

"Destroyed."

In spite of the good news, the Woman didn't allow himself to relax. Benezia was far too calm, preparing for a storm.

"One of the humans may have used it," the Asari Matriarch admitted after a moment.

Sitting in his throne in the Reaper Shell's control station, Saren ground his teeth. The reaction was what she had come to expect from the Turian. He was cunning, but too quick to anger. The indoctrination process wasn't helping matters. "How?" he snarled.

"The Geth failed, obviously," she replied calmly when Matriarch Benezia remained silent. "They have their uses, but ultimately fail when subtly is involved." She narrowed her eyes beneath her hood. "Your invasion was proof enough for that."

"It was the only way," Saren growled.

"I offered to retrieve it myself."

"You?" Benezia scoffed, "a scientist? Leave this to your elders, human."

It was all she could do to keep from laughing. The Asari had no idea. She could have done it whether they wanted her to or not. For all their bravado they were ultimately powerless.

"I'm sorry." She inclined her head, gauging her response and its implacations carefully. "I forgot my place."

"So, the humans have the vision," Saren mused, ignoring their little spat. "This complicates matters."

"Not as much as you think," the Woman said. "Possession is one thing. Comprehension is another. Our missions guides us through the chaos the Protheans left behind. Without it, the humans will stumble around in dark trying to find the way."

"Yes," Saren murmured to himself in agreement. "Who was it that access the Beacon?"

"Commander Rose," Beneiza replied.

The Woman scowled. Even in death they resisted. An enemy come back from the grave to haunt her existence.

What more would it take?

"Is she still alive?" Saren asked, ignorant of her inner turmoil.

"That remains to be seen. You prepared to use the Beacon, she didn't. It may take a few days, but we'll find out."

"But if she survives then my position is threatened." Saren leaned back in his throne, staring up at the ceiling, deep in thought. "Say she did, would the Council believe her?"

"Not without evidence," the Woman reasoned.

"Nihlus is all the evidence they'll need." The Turian straightened. "Still... they might be persuaded. I am their top agent, after all."

"So we're safe, right?" she asked, adding just enough uncertainty to her voice to plant the seeds she needed. "Even if you do lose your Spectre status we can continue our mission, right?"

Saren scratched his chin thoughtfully. She could see the gears churning in his head.

"Only if we proceed carefully," he said at last. "The Alliance will will pin the blame on me, that's to be expected. The Council... well, I can't image they'll choose reputation over common sense." He look up at them. "But if there is a lack of evidence..."

"Then you're innocent."

"Until proven guilty," Saren retorted. "There are men in the Alliance who would see me brought down, and they're high enough in the chain of command to cause problems for us. We'll assume the worst and expect to loose my Spectre status. We'll collect our resources and save what we can, that way we won't be caught completely off guard when we're cut off."

Beneath her hood the Woman smiled. "So what do we do now?"

"Lay low. We have the vision, _the map_ , if what you say is true. But its... distorted, I can't make anything out. The Conduit is in there somewhere, but the vision is... incomplete. We need specialists, Prothean experts if we're to have any chance to deciphering it."

"I know some who can help us," Benezia said. "My daughter among them."

"Good. Bring her here."

 _Yes, bring her here._

"So, we're ready to move on?" the Woman asked, gently pushing her influence. She shrugged. "They know nothing of the Conduit, what's stopping us from finding it. There's no possible way they know about it." She paused for effect. "Right."

Saren shook his head after a moment of thought. "No. The Quarian."

Excellent.

"She's the last link to Conduit. " Saren, thinking aloud. "With her gone we'll be free to continue without pursuit. Fist will hunt her down, he may yet do us some good."

"I shall contact, Liara." Benezia bowed and left the throne room.

As the door closed, Saren sighed explosively, slumping in his throne. He ran a hand down his face. "Spirits, how did my life turn out like this?"

"Destiny waits for no-one," the Woman said sagely. "It rarely calls us at a time of our choosing."

"But this..." He leaned forward, a haunted expression on his face. "The Reapers... Spirits but they give me nightmares."

"Me too," she whispered softly, stepping forward and resting a pale, bone white hand on his. With the other she tilted his head up so he looked into the black interior of her hood. "But this nightmare will never end. Not unless someone is strong enough to fight back: You."

She fought the urge to gag.

"You will find the Conduit, and you will save the galaxy. Sacrifices must be made, but the galaxy will vindicate you in the end."

He nodded slowly. "Sacrifices... but how much more can I give before there's nothing left."

 _Just give it all._

"Just... give it your all," she replied after a calculated moment of consideration. "We can't hold back, not against a threat like this." Her voice dropped. "The Reapers are coming, and only you can stop it. If you're right, if this Conduit is a Prothean weapon, then we can use it to stop all this."

She gently squeezed his hand. "Save the galaxy, and you will be remembered forever."

As a traitor.

She gently pulsed her Aura, letting it sink in with her words. Then he nodded again, looking at her. "You're right. But I don't care about my name anymore. Saving my species will be enough." He stood, forcing her to take a step back. "I have business to attend to. I'll expect word on your... _experiments_ when I return."

He left, casting the throne room in dark silence. Finally, she could think in peace.

She crossed the room and sat in the throne, pulling her hood further down over her brow. It was only out of her good graces that the Turian was still alive. None sat here without being flayed alive. She'd tolerated his presence for now, but soon the time would come when he would no longer be needed.

How she longed for that day.

She reluctantly pushed the thoughts of vengeance aside for the more vital issue.

Ruby Rose.

Her hands gripped the arm rests as she glared at the floor.

How?

 _How?!_

That line was dead. She'd witnessed Summer's death herself, felt the life leave her body. Remnant had been wiped clean long ago. None had survived.

But how had Summer's daughter survived? The resemblance was unmistakable, but that was impossible. She remembered it all; killing Summer Rose and hunting down her two children, crushing the life out of them as they begged for their lives.

But had she been careless? Had the daughter of Summer somehow survi-

Pain lanced through her chest, doubling her over. She felt her Aura groan in protest at the blow and looked inward, passed her mortal body. There, deep inside was the small part of her that refused to yield to her control, a part of her Aura... and yet not. A presence at the back of her mind and soul, pushing with all its strength.

The Woman glared hatefully at the grey walls surrounding her. "Why do you do this?" she snarled, gathering her power. The Reaper groaned as she slamming her will into the foreign presence. It screamed in agony as the Woman gathered her Aura and mercilessly pummelled it into submission. It fought valiantly, but couldn't withstand the unrelenting onslaught as she forced it into the darkest corner of her being.

"You just don't know when to give in, do you?"

It was beaten, pushed against the wall, defeated, but that wasn't enough. She was going to make it suffer.

Groans and creaks echoed through the Reaper's hull as she she began the delicate operation of flaying the presence layer by layer. First the will, then the drive, then down deeper to its very essence. She stripped it all away, relishing in its agony as she destroyed the wayward Aura piece by piece.

At last she stripped it of everything, leaving it a twisted semblance of life, gasping in torment at the back of her subconscious. It was nothing now, everything it was left bare for the whole world to see.

"Is this what you waited for? A show of weakness?" She looked around at the walls, feeling the Reaper itself tremble with rage. "I won't be overpowered so easily. Know your place, worm."

She returned to scheming, shoving the annoyance aside as it screamed in endless torment and vengance.

The Reapers were growing stronger, and she was running out of time.

-ooo000ooo-

 **...Page 3**

 **Don't be alarmed. I meant no theatrics but there's no easier way to say it. I use 'human' in the narrowest of terms, though it's not completely accurate. Make no mistake, Rose is human, in fact she's likely the purest human of us all.**

 **As a species our genome is slowly adapting to our new environment and circumstances. Millions of years of evolution has shaped our species, giving us many unique traits. It's small, but the evidence of evolution is in our very blood. Rose has barely any of the markers. In fact, it appears as though she's evolved in an entirely different way. The changes are so small they're impossible to detect without highly sensitive equipment, but they are there.**

 **I'm afraid that's all I can say on the subject. I hope you understand that all the secrecy is for her safety. If this were to become public knowledge, the results would be disastrous. Verner, on the other hand, is something we cannot ignore. He knew of Rose from the start, set up Rosarius to find her and then what, expected us to train her? You know me Admiral, I'll do anything to give the Alliance an advantage, even if that means ruining the life of a fifteen year old girl.**

 **What a coincidence. One just so happens to appear just as I become the Director of the Intelligence Division.**

 **Did you know that Verner petitioned me specifically to be his successor? He knew what I wanted from Rose and he let it happen. One way or another I got what I wanted, but who's to say he didn't play me like fool the whole time.**

 **Call me delusional if you want, but hear me out. You can't deny that our colonies were attacked, you can't deny that people died and you can't deny that Rose is real. Something is happening, the Intelligence Division was used to get Rose and train her, but for what purpose.**

 **Please, look over this last file and tell me you're not suspicious as well. If you agree, send a reply. While Verner is a leak we can seal, this goes far deeper than I imagined. I and a few others agree that this needs to be dealt with. Verner has committed crimes against the Alliance and we will get answers out of him. Join us, and I will tell you everything you want to know. Only together can we get to the bottom of this.**

 **[File: Personal Message: to (Address Unknown): Subject:** I hope you know what you're doing, Oz. **]**

 **...Page 3**

 **...End Message...**

* * *

 **To answer your first question, no, I am not dead. The reason for my long absence was the Spacebattles forums. I was re-posting Rose of the Stars there and got some criticism that really made me think. So I changed up a few things with the early chapters that had to do with pointless conflict and ended up creating something completely new. The changes are small, just a changed segment in chapter 2 involving Fang and a few more messages at the end of some chapters, but it changes a lot. For the returning readers this message at the bottom may seem out of the blue, so I encourage you to reread chapter 2 then look at the bottoms of chapters 5 and 7 for context. Everything else is just small edits and corrections I've made.**

 **I still do plan to keep updating every Saturday now that I have this out of the way, for those who were wondering.**

 **I hope you enjoy and I will see you next time!**


	12. Chapter 12

Darkness gave way to blinding light. Ruby cracked an eye open, wincing at the bright lights above her. Everything hurt, from the dull ache in her head to the soreness in her legs. She moaned weakly. It took her a long moment to realize her mouth was covered by a breathing apparatus, muffling her weak protests.

"She's awake," said a nearby voice, hazy through her dulled senses.

"I see," said another, this time female. "Keep me informed on her neural net. We don't need another crash."

"Understood, Doctor."

Ruby tried to follow the voices but her head was strapped down, as was the rest of her body. Not that she could break out or anything, she was too tired to move. Keeping her eyes open was struggle.

A face mercifully blocked off the light. Ruby dimly registered an Asari hanging above her.

"Hello there," the Asari smiled. "Can you remember your name?"

"Doctor?" the first voice spoke up. "We have the patient file right here."

The face looked away briefly, looking irritated. "I'm testing cognitive functions. Prothean signals are infamous for scrambling the brain waves of their subjects. Give me constant updates of her brain activity. Inform me if you see anything out of the ordinary."

"Understood."

She wasn't sure what was going on. Everything was hazy. Distant memories merged with the present forming confusing after-images.

The Asari returned. "Once again, do you remember your name?"

Her name...yes... she did.

"Ruby... Rose," she croaked through parched lips. "Serial number... N7-" She coughed, her throat finally giving in.

"It checks outs, Doctors," the first voice said. "The signals are stable. Yes... I'm reading a full return of cognitive functions. Her pathways are stablizing."

"Excellent," the Asari sighed, smiling. "Your memory appears to be intact, Commander. Welcome back to the land of the living."

Ruby croaked out something that might have been a thank you, though mangled horribly in translation.

"You going to give you a mild sedative," the Asari continued. "Your brain still needs to time to recover from the trauma. That Beacon did quiet the toll on you."

Beacon...

Ruby blinked slowly. The word sounded so familiar, but she didn't know why. She would ask Yang next time she saw...

The world faded away, the last laugh of her sister echoing in her ears.

-ooo000ooo-

A collective sigh of relief went through the observation room. Anderson felt the dark that permeated the air lift as the Doctor announced that Ruby would make a full recovery.

"Thank god," Chakwas whispered, leaning against the window as she watched the proceedings. He nodded in silent agreement.

In the operating room below, almost a dozen doctors clustered around the gurney, prepping Ruby for travel. The shear amount of equipment and monitors hooked up to her was staggering. Anderson only recognized half of it, the rest he could only guess at their purpose. The lone Asari commanded the throng of Doctors like a general. Under her guidance equipment was moved in record time and Ruby was wheeled out to her private ward in the Narucinea Memorial Hospital. Chakwas, ever the watchful parent, hurried from the room to follow.

For all his dislike of Alliance Intelligence, Anderson couldn't deny their dedication when it came to Ruby. They'd stepped in the moment Anderson had reported the casualty, commandeering a ward in Narucinea for her exclusive use. It seemed a little excessive, but no one complained or even agrued. Even the Council had agreed, despite the Alliance's frankly ridiculous demands regarding Rose's treatment. They hadn't blinked twice when Fang demanded that only doctors hand picked by the Colonel himself were allowed to operate on her. The only exception was Doctor Iona Yatisa, an expert in Prothean Bio-Science. What that meant exactly Anderson hadn't the faintest clue. What he did know from listening in was that the Beacon had nearly fried Ruby's brain into scrambled eggs.

Perhaps it was a move on the Council's side to get the Colonel on their good side. He was the only opposition to Rose becoming a Spectre and one of her direct superiors. In Ruby's case, the usual process of becoming a Spectre was drowned out in bureaucracy and political gain. With Ruby nothing was ever simple.

"She'll live," said Colonel Fang, appearing beside him, still as emotionless as ever. If that was meant to ease his worries than the Colonel did a piss poor job at it.

"You could at least try to make it sound like you care," Anderson said in a low voice.

"I'm a man of facts, Captain." He spared Anderson a look. "You've been standing here for the last five minutes."

Anderson blinked, looking around at he empty room. Had it really been that long?

"You could try and make your sentiment less obvious." Fang said. "You never know what others may perceive as a liability."

Like he would know anything about that. Had the Colonel been abandoned by his mother or something? Anderson bit the inside of his lip, biting back a retort he knew he'd regret. Instead he straightened and asked, "is that so wrong?"

"Potentially. You never know who might be watching."

"Excuse me." They turned and noticed a human doctor standing behind them. The man still wore his surgical gown, though a name tag on his chest read _Alaric_. He held out a datapad. "If you have a minute, Colonel?"

As they moved away Anderson kept his gaze focused on the window, though he strained his ears to listen in.

"It's exactly as I theorized," he overheard Alaric say in a low voice. "A massive resurgence in her Temporal Lobe and Insular Cortex. And that's not even taking into account the strain on the rest of her brain."

"Is there any permanent damage?" Fang asked quietly.

"Nothing so far as we can tell, but the scars have deepened. The Council is going to see them, no doubt about that."

"And her file?"

"Locked down, sir."

The rest of their conversation was too low for Anderson to make out. Before too long the Doctor left and Fang resumed his post at Anderson's side, contemplating the view beyond the window as though it was the most fascinating thing in universe. But Anderson knew what they were both waiting for. After another minute of silence Udina strolled into the room, wringing his hands with a glee that made Anderson shudder.

"It's done!" the Ambassador crowed. "Oh you should have seen the look on his face."

 _I can imagine_ , Anderson thought dryly as he turned to face him. "How did the trial go?"

The Ambassador's smile was downright terrifying. "Saren didn't make it past ten minutes. William's helmet camera captured everything. Caught him executing Nihlus red handed! The Council has revoked his Spectre status and branded him a traitor." He rubbed his hands together. "Oh this day couldn't get any better."

Anderson glanced over at Fang. To his surprise the Colonel meet his gaze, the slightest bit of uncertainty in his eyes. Anderson shared his sentiment. It wasn't everyday the Ambassador acted so... evil.

"You're taking this rather well," Anderson said slowly.

"It's not everyday I get to ruin a celebrity's career," Udina shrugged. "It always was a childhood dream of mine."

"That is highly contradictory," Fang noted quietly, turning his back on Udina. "It would assume you had a childhood at all."

Fang had never been one to insult before, though maybe he'd been pushed too far this time. Either way, the barb and its intended meaning was hilarious. Anderson managed to keep a straight face as Udina glared at the Colonel.

"I never took you for a comedian, Colonel," he growled. "Though I imagine you have more important things to worry about. How is Rose?"

"Recovering," Fang replied without sparing him a glance.

"I see. And when can I expect to see her?"

"Why?"

"We have important business to discuss," the Ambassador huffed importantly. "Her Spectre candidacy must come first."

Fang's lips twisted as though he'd bit something sour. "I see... I'll pass along your _request_."

"See that you do." Udina huffed and made to leave. He gave them one last parting look over his shoulder "This is in humanity's best interests, Colonel. I'm honestly surprised you can't see it for yourself."

He left, leaving the two officers in silence. Fang continued to contemplate the window, impassive as ever. Anderson didn't know what to do. Ruby would still be out for a while and there was still some time before his next engagement.

"You really care for her, don't you?" Fang asked suddenly, shaking Anderson out of his stupor.

"Aren't you the one who just said I should be hiding my feeling?" Anderson asked with a raised eyebrow.

Fang looked at him. "Please. You know I can be trusted, Captain. Our motives and methods are different but we both... _appreciate_ for her."

"You have a funny way of showing it."

"Its nothing personal. We're both sworn to protect the humanity, though my duties are much more than pointing a gun."

"As I'm aware."

"But you do care for her, yes?"

"I do." Anderson looked at him a suspiciously. "Why"

The Colonel gave a long sigh, the most emotion Anderson had ever seen from him. "Times are changing, Captain. Something is coming... and it's probably already here. Humanity at its core might be threatened."

His words caused something to shift in Anderson's chest. Apprehension, maybe. He'd heard that very same message dozens of times before, but never from the man beside him. The fact that _Fang_ of all people was acknowledging it meant he might just be telling the truth. He was a man of facts, after all. Anderson swallowed. "I... never took you as man of... paranoia, Colonel."

"It's my job."

"And what does this have to do with Ruby?"

"Do you remember when you found her on Mindoir, Captain? The odds that she had survived the initial invasion were low, as were her chances of survival."

"She was lucky."

Slowly, the Colonel fixed him with a look that could have frozen the sun over. "Please tell me you don't believe that. Someone _put her there_ , Captain. She was in the perfect time and place for you to find her. There's too much convenience with her sudden appearance for it to be... natural."

Anderson's mind churned. He'd harboured his own doubts about Ruby ever since Mindoir, but now to hear Fang echo his own uncertainty sent warning bells ringing.

"Watch her, please," Fang said, turning to leave. "I know you don't answer to me, but keep an eye on her. Udina is an idiot to hand her off as a Spectre. She needs to stay with us, for her own safety."

Anderson sighed in exasperation. "You're still afraid the Council will corrupt her, as you say?"

"Somewhat." Fang started out. "My real worry is that whoever sent her will take her back while our backs are turned."

"And who would that be?"

Fang paused at the door. "That's that scares me, Captain. I have no idea."

-ooo000ooo-

They didn't have any Ryncol, a fact that caused his already dismal view of the club to plummet even further. Even the stuff they had on tap was shit. Still, Wrex supposed he was lucky. Few people got a whole bar to themselves, though it would be even better if his target was even there.

He popped open another beer, noting it was some human brand, and down it without a second thought. He could _hear_ the bland liquid running down his throat. Though he enjoyed drinking in silence, this was not one of the times. Chora's Den was empty. Deserted, more like it. He couldn't find a single guard, worker or patron during his search of the building.

Fist had jumped ship. Who knew where the little pyjak was now?

Another bottle joined the others on the floor by his feet. Damn but human liquor was crap. He reached behind the bar for an Asari blend and popped the top off. He could very well become an alcohol connoisseur with all the stuff Fist had left here, but he still had a job to do. Fist had to die, he just had to find him first.

As he drained the bottle, a faint sound echoed through the club. He paused, listening carefully. It came from the back.

Wrex sighed and heaved his bulk over the bar, raising his shotgun to the door at the back. The club had three entrances; the front door, stripper entrance and a loading dock. The front was locked down tight, but the two at the rear could be hacked easily enough. He waited, weapon trained on the door to the back of the club.

A minute crept by, then another. Whoever it was they were taking their sweet time clearing the area, or they had already left. A worker maybe, but he didn't want to take any chances. Before he could jump over the bar to begin his own inspection, the door suddenly opened. He raised his shotgun, preparing for a hailstorm of fire. None came.

"Hello?"

Wrex stiffened as a female voice called out and the barrel of a gun peeked around the door frame. He could have fired, but it was probably just a stripper who didn't get the memo. He might be able to get answers out of her.

That thought vanished as a Quarian of all things peeked in. She saw Wrex and froze. The Krogan almost pulled the trigger as she brought her own shotgun to bare, but a note of familiarity stayed his hand.

"You Tali'Zorah?" Wrex asked, keeping his guard up.

"I am," the Quarian nodded slowly. "And you are?"

"None of your business."

"Then how do you know my name?"

 _Smart girl._ "The Shadow Broker doesn't forget people that easily."

Behind the nearly opaque faceplate, glowing eyes narrowed. "You're the Shadow Broker?"

"No. I'm an agent." He thought back to the mission dossier he'd read. "You wanted to trade information?"

"I did." She looked at his shotgun. Wrex decided to humour her and dropped his aim an inch. She mirrored him and together they lowered their weapons, though neither of them dared return them to their holsters.

"You did, huh?" Wrex grunted as he sat on a bar stool. "What changed? You know the Shadow Broker doesn't like people pulling out a deal."

"Fist happened," Tali snapped as she stalked to the bar, seemingly forgetting about the Krogan in her ire. "That dirty bosht'tet sold me out to Saren, took the data and tried to kill me!"

Wrex reached for another drink. "So why are you here?"

"I had to try and get it back," she protested, taking a seat beside him. For the first time despair started to leak into her voice. "I...I thought the deal was still on, that I could get somewhere safe."

Wrex nodded as he grabbed another beer. He could respect that. The girl was only trying to come through on the deal. "So Fist took your data, eh?" he asked.

"Y-yes," she stammered. "Though I'm trying to get it back, I swear!"

"Calm down, kid," he smirked, opening his drink and taking a swig. "I'm not here for you."

"Then who?"

Wrex fixed her with a look. "You don't betray the Shadow Broker and get away with it. Something Fist is going to find out very soon. Don't worry, you'll live." Tali visibly sagged with relief. "For now."

He chuckled into his beer as the Quarian stiffened, then glared at him. "So, you came looking for your data, huh?" he asked.

"Yes." Tali nodded, looking around. "I take it he's gone then?"

Wrex scowled in response and downed the rest of his beer. Noting his reaction, Tali left the bar and headed to the back, most likely to Fist's private suite. Grunting, Wrex reached for another drink. The Quarian would be lucky to find anything. He pulled up another bottle and looked at the label.

"Asari Nightshade," he read aloud with a sense of appreciation. "Vintage brew."

He stashed it away in pouch around his belt. Nightshade was pretty expensive, especially one aged five hundred years. He could name a few collectors who would pay a pretty penny for it, otherwise he could just throw it up on the blackmarket.

 _At least I'll get something from this mess_ , he thought bitterly, reaching for another crappy human brew. He probably shouldn't have been drinking at a time like this, but this human stuff was so weak he could drink it until his bladder exploded and barely be buzzed. It was more like juice than anything... crappy, bland, disgusting juice.

"Dammit, it's not here!" Tali stormed back to the bar and sat beside him again, though she seemed more frustrated than desperate.

"I already checked. The place is wiped clean," Wrex supplied, tossing away another bottle.

"So I noticed," she spat. "Where could that Bosh'tet be? I checked his house, I checked his safe-house, I checked his _other_ safe-house!"

Wrex paused, a bottle half raised to his mouth as Tali continued to rant. His mission dossier hadn't mentioned anything about a safe-house. He just assumed Fist would hold up in his club, coward that he was. Still, it made sense. But that opened up the possibility that the Shadow Broker had missed something.

Tali's shoulder's slumped and she sighed. "Eh... There's one more place I can think of..."

"Where?" Wrex asked sharply, turning to her. She flinched back and held her shotgun tighter.

"Well, I-uh..." she stammered as Wrex stood, towering over her. For a moment, Wrex thought she would bolt. But then she took a deep breath and steadied herself.

"Okay... you want Fist dead, yes?" she asked.

Wrex nodded.

"And I want my data back. It might be enough to buy me safety, right?"

"Depends," Wrex shrugged. "I'm not the Shadow Broker."

"But there is a chance, right?"

"Possibly."

Tali swallowed and almost shrank in on herself before she summoned some sort of inner strength and carried on. "Okay... I know of one last place Fist could be. He got sloppy with wiping his database and forgot a personal message with a way off the Citadel" She looked Wrex dead in the eye. "I can tell you, but you have to work with me to get my data back."

Now this girl was smart. Wrex could count the number of times he'd been caught in a situation like this. Half of the time the other guy would be so intimidated that he'd still his guts just to keep them on the right side of his rib cage and have nothing left to bargain with. No, the little Quarian was doing everything right. You propose the deal and hide your cards.

Smart. Irritating as hell, but smart.

"And why should I help you?" Wrex demanded.

Tali swallowed again, but she managed to keep her fear in check. "Because I know where he is, and you don't." She stood, barely coming up to his chin, and looked him in the eye." Help me get back my data, and I will lead you to him."

As good a reason as any.

"Deal."

-ooo000ooo-

 **Hello Fist,**

 **I am _truly_ sorry for the restrictions Saren as set on you, really I am. Why must we hold back on valuable man power for something so trivial? Unfortunately I can't do much for you. Your extraction is beyond my control, though I may be able to assist you.**

 **In the cargo bay you will find one of my little surprises, along with everything you'll need to deliver it. With it, I can give you this ultimatum. Kill Rose, and you'll be safe. If you do, you can leave the Quarian, she mean nothing in the long run. But kill Rose, and I will reward you beyond your wildest dreams.**

 **Good luck,**

 **S~**

* * *

 **AN: I've been told that Fang is painfully stereotypical. Personally, I see him as excellent practice for keeping a character _in character_. His role and attitude is something we've all seen before, not exactly relate too, but we know how he'll act. Thus, I find that keeping him in character while branching out is a huge help in learning how to make your characters react to situations instead of having them do things for the sake of the story.**

 **Here, I was hoping to sell the picture that Fang is still reluctant to let Ruby become a Spectre, but slowly accepting the fact and covering his bases as best he can. He's frustrated, showing it in a little insult against the cause of his troubles, but still doing what he can.**

 **And yes, the trial is already done and over. I wonder how that will turn out for everything. The partnership between Tali and Wrex will certainly make things interesting.**


	13. Chapter 13

There was a certain novelty to this visit. Had things turned out differently Anderson might have had his name engraved here when he died. The Remembrance Hall was where the heroes of the Citadel Council were commemorated, and for some, if the rumours were true, even buried here. To an outsider it might sound grand, but now seeing it for the first time left him rather disappointed. It felt sterile. Dead. Much like its occupants. He could see vases with flowers, but it did little to cover the gloom of the place. It must be depressing, being buried here in cold metal. It was an honourable idea, but one he couldn't back. Personally, he wanted his grave in real dirt. He was a boots on the ground kind of guy, always would be.

Ruby never noticed his discomfort. Seated in her wheelchair, she stared blankly ahead in a near comatose state as she let Anderson push her along. She hadn't said much since aking from her medically induced coma almost two days ago. Losing a friend in combat was never easy, something Anderson understood all too well. It was easy to set your feelings aside during a mission, but as soon as you had a chance to think everything came crashing back to reality. He wasn't sure how deep her relationship with Nihlus went, but they were close, close enough to hurt.

They reached the end of the hall, where the more recent memorials were added, and there stood a hologram of Nihlus, standing tall against the drab backdrop. Anderson parked the wheelchair before it and waited.

Ruby said nothing and stared at the hologram, as if willing the projection to come to life and offer some modicum of comfort.

Anderson longed to say something. Anything. Who knew what was running through her head. Guilt. Anger. None of it was healthy. Though he hated himself for thinking from a tactical standpoint, it was dangerous to let it continue. Survivors guilt was a tricky thing. It made people think irrationally, do dumb things. And Ruby had lost enough friends for it to be a real concern.

They should go, even if it cost him their friendship.

"You were right, you know," Ruby whispered, bowing her head. "I am scared."

It took Anderson a moment to realize she was addressing the hologram. His curiosity peeked, he knelt beside her. "Of what?" he asked cautiously.

Ruby's jaw clenched, realizing she had spoken aloud. "Nothing," she said at last. "Just... talking to ghosts, I guess."

Anderson sighed, gently resting a hand on her shoulder. "Ruby please, I've known you long enough to know when you're avoiding the issue." He nodded toward the memorial. "So did Nihlus."

"Maybe. But it's my problem, not his." She looked over at him. "Or yours."

Now he really was curious, and a little worried to honest. Anderson shrugged. "Sometimes the best thing you can do about a problem is talk about it."

"No."

"Why?"

"Just... no, I can't"

"Why?" Anderson asked. "Orders? Fang?"

She shook her head, voice thick with emotion. "Just stop, Anderson, _please_. You're not making this any easier. You don't understand-"

"Then _help me_ understand." Her elusiveness was frustrating, but Anderson forced himself to remain calm. He only wanted to help. "You're scared. Why? Is it something that happened? A nightmare, perhaps?"

He immediately felt foolish after the suggestion. Did he really think a nightmare could scare someone like her. Maybe, maybe not. He was just probing for information, trying to prompt her into revealing the issue. So it took him by surprise when she nodded.

"Sort of," she said, her voice choked. "You wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

Ruby looked at him and the shear anguish on her face almost made him abandon the cause. "I want to help you, Ruby. Please, talk to me."

Her face twisted to somewhere halfway between despair and loathing, then settled into a grim mask. She turned away without answering, staring up at the hologram.

"Why don't we start at the beginning," Anderson said, choosing each word with care. "When..."

"Agaus," she said, almost choking on the word.

"Okay." He nodded, processing this new information. He was starting to get somewhere, but now he had to tread carefully. This was crossing over into classified material and he wasn't sure how much he was authorized to know. He thought about it for a moment and decided to screw protocol just this once. Ruby needed support, not regulations. "And what are you afraid of? Something down there?"

A reluctant nod.

"And what-"

"Beautiful day today, isn't it!?" Ruby cried, clapping her hands and putting on the biggest smile she could in a painfully obvious attempt to distract him. She looked around. "Why I could just... uh... g-go for a walk! Yes! Yes. Let go for a walk, Anderson, I uh, I need some... air. Yes, air. Not that there's none here but... uh..."

Anderson kept a firm grip on her shoulder, a sign that he wasn't going anywhere. After a full minute her facade dropped and her mask settled back into place. "I don't want to talk about it, Anderson, please."

"Why?"

"Because you won't believe me. You, everyone, you have idea what I've been through."

"Then help me understand," Anderson said. "I'm only trying to help you, Ruby."

"I don't need your help."

"Really?"

"...Yes."

"Then why are you afraid? Tell me that at least."

The question struck her like a hammer blow. The fight in her eyes vanished as quickly as it had appeared. With a groan she sagged into her chair, silent tears starting to flow down her cheeks. It tore Anderson apart to see her like this and he began to doubt if he was doing the right thing. Was he pushing her too hard?

Probably.

"I killed them."

Ruby was so quiet Anderson barely caught her words. He was smart enough to put together her statement with her earlier admission about Agaus and the revelation sent a chill down his spine. Without a word Anderson wrapped and arm around her shoulders. Words couldn't possibly ease her pain, but maybe the comfort of another human being could.

"You hate me, don't you?"

" _What?_ No!" he shook his head vehemently. "Why on earth would you think that?"

"Because I betrayed them, Anderson," she said in a choked whisper, looking down at the floor. "I told them everything would be alright, and they believed me. They _trusted_ me, that I was going to take care of them." She looked up and Anderson shivered. She bore the same haunted expression he'd seen on Agaus. "And then... I killed them. Put them down like dogs."

Anderson turned away, unable to meet her gaze. He didn't know what to think about that. Suspecting the impossible was one thing, but hearing it from her own lips was something else entirely.

"And do you know what's the worst part?" Ruby moaned. "I got promoted for it. Killing my own men."

"So the Admiralty knew," Anderson noted flatly.

"They did."

They sat in silence for a long minute, neither able, or just unwilling to say anything. Finally, Ruby raised her tear stained face and looked at him. "Well?"

"Well what?" he asked.

"Aren't you going to run?"

Anderson blinked in bewilderment. "I'm sorry?"

Now it was Ruby's turn to be confused. "I'm a monster. I betrayed their trust, the Alliance's, everything I stand for-" She trailed off, shaking her head in despair. When he stayed silent she began to tremble. "Anderson, please say something."

Anderson merely stared at the far wall, very carefully considering his options. If he said something wrong who knew how Ruby would react? But something wasn't making sense. Her story was lining up, but something was off, a critical detail she was leaving out.

"No." He shook his head. "I'm staying right here. But I want to know something. Why?"

"W-why what?"

Anderson sighed. "I'm not blind, Ruby. I've known you your whole life, and I know you would _never_ do something like that. So why? Why did you do it?"

"You'd never believe me if I told you."

"Ruby-"

"I'm serious, David!" she snapped. "You would never believe me! No one would! Even Fang would call me insane."

"Is that why you're afraid then?" Anderson asked.

Ruby hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. "Yes...And I'm afraid it'll happen again. That I'll snap, that I'll _break_ , just like Agaus." She choked. "I'm weak... I didn't fight... I just waned it to end..."

Anderson pulled her, squeezing her as tightly as he could. Then Ruby began to whisper in his ear, revealing the secret she'd kept for so long.

-ooo000ooo-

"You were right, Nihlus. I'm am scared... I'm just sorry you had to die to show me that."

It was simple, modest. Ruby knew he would have wanted it that way. No long, boring speeches about past accomplishments and honors. Nihlus wouldn't have stood for it, if only because he hated bureaucracy with a passion. He always said that long winded speeches at funerals were for the corrupt and outsiders, people who had no place in life and preyed on the feelings of others. She didn't didn't entirely agree with that, but if you knew the diseased then you knew what to say, and Ruby knew Nihlus would be happy with her. She said what needed to be said, taking his last words to heart.

More than that, she acted on them. He'd be proud of her.

Nihlus' death stung, but she would move on, just like he wanted. They both understood that a life of combat might abruptly cut their relationship short. But they accepted that. There were dangers to every act in life and this was no different. She had treasured her time with Nihlus for this very reason, that one day one of them might be gone for good. Now that he was gone, she needed to carry on without him. It was what he would have wanted.

With that revelation came a feeling of peace.

It was wiped away as her anxiety returned full force.

She glanced back at Anderson, standing with his back to her with his arms crossed. He hadn't said a word since she revealed the dreaded truth. It was worse than an angry reprimand, that you could anticipate. But this? Was he mad? Yes, of course he was. Who wouldn't be after what she dropped on him.

 _This is it_ , she thought grimly. _The end of my career. The end of everything._

She'd revealed classified information and a secret that, while not classified, was no less terrible in scope. She'd be lucky if a court marshal was all she got.

 _Then again, Udina wouldn't let that happen. Not while I'm in the running for the Spectres._

But surprisingly she felt... _relief_. Her secret was out, and her crime along with it, but to finally get it out and face the real issue was... well, she didn't know what to call it. She'd probably never see the light of day again, but at least it would be justified.

Ruby shifted uncomfortably in her wheelchair, longing to just get up and pace off her tension, but she didn't want to try Anderson's patience. Physically she was fine, the bruises she'd received from Eden Prime were long gone. But the doctors weren't convinced that the effects of the Beacon had worn off yet, and they would have preferred it if she hadn't left the hospital at all. Surprisingly it was the Council that stepped in and let her pay her respects. The wheelchair was the compromise, an effort to reduce the strain on her brain.

"Time to go."

Ruby started as Anderson appeared behind her and guided the wheelchair away back the way they came. When she chanced a glance, his face was an inscrutable mask. He didn't even look at her. It tore her apart, even though she expected it. She'd betrayed his trust, on top of everything else she'd done.

"You hate me, don't you?" she asked quietly.

He shook his head with slow deliberation. "No." He finally met her eyes. "Disappointed with you, yes. But I could never hate you, Ruby."

She couldn't hold his gaze and looked down.

"You know I'm obligated to tell them everything?"

Ruby nodded. "I do."

"You'll lose your commission. Imprisonment would be the least of your worries."

Ruby snorted, but there was no humor in it. "On that I have to disagree. Udina would never let that happen, not while I'm in the running for the Spectres. As for my commission... they promoted me for it, you know."

"So you agree they did the right thing?"

"No!" She looked at him with indignation. "Why would you even say that?"

"Ruby, you've been lying to us for the last three years," he retorted, real anger entering his voice for the first time. "You say you're afraid it'll happened again but you covered it up. What did you think was going to happen? That it would _magically_ get better?"

"What did you expect me to do?" Ruby protested.

Anderson stopped suddenly and knelt beside her, looking her dead in the eyes. "You could have told us for starters. Hell, it's what you should have done in the first place!"

"And get called _insane_? Voices in my head! You know they never would've believed me."

"And this is _better_?"

"Isn't it?"

Anderson said nothing, but his expression said it all. Then he stood and continued to push her down the hall. "You never should have kept this to yourself, you know that."

Ruby swallowed nervously. "So... what happens now?"

"I'm telling Fang everything. He may be a bastard but he has the resources to help." He gave her a pointed look. "This is for your own good, Ruby. You never should hidden this from us.."

"I know." She waited a minute, letting his anger cool before she dared speak again. "I... I'm sorry, Anderson."

He didn't reply, and that hurt more than any wound she'd ever suffered.

The halls of the Citadel Tower were empty, giving them a clear path to the private suite that the Council had set aside for her private use. It was rare for them to cooperate with an outside organization like Alliance Intelligence for such a simple reason, though with Ruby involved nothing was ever simple. Intelligence was paranoid about her security, no thanks to Fang, and that seemed to have spread to the Council.

Experts were still being brought in to study the effect of the beacon and both the Alliance and Council decided that the hospital wasn't a secure enough location. Therefore a private suite in the Citadel Tower had been put aside for her and the examinations that were to follow. The only reason she was allowed to visit the Hall at all was because it was just a dozen stories down from where she was staying. In fact, Ruby was expected there as soon as possible, so she was surprised when instead of headed for the elevator Anderson headed towards the shuttle bay.

That wasn't right. Hadn't he been briefed on the way here? Or maybe he was bring her to Fang personally and save him trouble.

 _I know he's upset, but he wouldn't take it that far, would he?_

The bay was flurry of activity when they entered. Politicians hurried from one transport to the other and C-Sec security patrolled the area. One group of roving guards noticed them and moved to intercept them.

"Uh... Commander Rose. It's an honor," the Sargent said, stopping them with a raised hand. "We weren't expecting you."

Ruby smiled ruefully. Her reputation proceeded her. But how much longer would it last?

"We're expected back at the hospital," Anderson replied. "Has our shuttle arrived yet."

The Sargent frowned, a sentiment Ruby shared.

"Uh... Anderson?" said Ruby. "I'm suppose to stay here."

He looked at her sharply. "What?"

"We're staying here in the Tower. Fang's orders. Extra security and stuff."

"Precisely," the Sargent nodded. "Just letting you know, Commander, a search warrant was put out a few minutes ago when you failed to check in at the elevator. I can call you in now if you want?"

"That would be great, thanks."

"That can't be right." Anderson said, pulling up his omni-tool to show them some documents. "I was ordered to bring her back. See?"

After a moments examination the Sargent shook his head. "I'm sorry, Captain, but we've been on tight alert for this very reason. Rose is staying here. I don't know where you got those though."

"I got them from the Colonel himself," Anderson growled.

"In person?"

"No."

"Then I'm afraid I'm going to have to take the Commander off your hands, sir," the Sargent said firmly. "We can verify this discrepancy now if you want, but the Council requests that Rose be taken up immediately."

Scowling, Anderson glanced at Ruby, who shrugged. She had no clue what was going on, but Fang didn't make mistakes like that. He lied, sure, but never when security was involved. He'd also briefed her in person, and explain with some reluctance what was going to happen. This didn't make any sense.

"Very well," Anderson sighed, but he didn't release his hold on the wheelchair. "But I'm bring her there personally."

"I'm afraid not, sir. This is a breach in protocol during a high security situation and all subjects must be treated with caution."

"You think I'm kidnapping her?" Anderson demanded.

"I'm just following orders, sir. Colonel Fang is currently out of the Tower, but if you follow me to my office we can have this cleared up in seconds."

Anderson's scowl deepened, but he nodded reluctantly and relinquished the handles. "Fine, but let's make this quick."

"We're doing our best, Captain. Right this way please." As they headed off towards a door on the far side, another Turian guided Ruby back the way they'd came towards the elevator. But Ruby just couldn't relax. Whether it was about Anderson and her secret or something else entirely she wasn't sure.

As the elevator crawled up, she forced herself to take a deep breath. Everything would be alright. For a bit, anyway, until Anderson revealed everything.

 _But it won't be that bad... Will it?_

-ooo000ooo-

"Dammit, hold him down!"

Anderson snarled past the gag, staining against his captures. A sharp blow to the back of his head sent him reeling, allowing his abductors restrained him to tighten their grips. He'd known there were some dirty cops in C-Sec but this was ridiculous. His escort had jumped him the instant they were out of sight, slapping him in cuffs before he could react. He fought back valiantly, but there was only so much he could do against five armored Turians while restrained. He did his best though, even if it cost him a few knocks.

But where the hell had they come from?

Finally they shoved him into an office, straight into the arms of a waiting Krogan. Another blow sent Anderson to his knees, grunting through the gag.

"Hey, none of that!" a voice growled nearby. "We need him alive, you idiot!"

Slowly, Anderson shook off the disorientation and was able to take in his captures. The squad of Turians, the Krogan, and a lone human standing before him. Aside from them the office was empty, in fact it looked to have been abandoned for years.

"I'm really sorry about that," the human said, kneeling so he could look Anderson in the eye. "But we couldn't afford to take chances. I hope you understand."

Anderson only scowled at him. Now that he could get a good look he saw that the man's armor was very high quality. So whoever he was he had money to throw around, certainly not someone in C-Sec but more than a common thug.

"Did you know it only really a kidnapping if we remove you from the building?" the man asked. "It's still a criminal act, holding you here, but we wanted to make this as easy as possible."

Easier than sneaking into the Citadel Tower? They must have had inside sources. Sources, Anderson realized with dread, who had access to Alliance Intelligence Encryption keys. It was the only possible explanation. Someone had sent him forged documents so C-Sec wouldn't bat an eye when they pulled him aside for verification, because god forbid that Fang would mess up communication like that. But he could worry about that later, right now he needed to get word out, call for help. Seven on one, with a Krogan no less, was far from a fair fight.

"I don't want trouble with you, Anderson," the man continued smoothly. "But it's gonna hurt if you don't answer my questions." He tore off Anderson's gag. "We understand each other, yes?"

"Go to hell."

A slap sent Anderson reeling. A slap, not a punch. They wanted him coherent then.

"Come on, man, we just want to let you go." The man pulled out a pistol and waved it before his eyes in a pitiful attempt to intimidate him. "Trust me, this isn't exactly a great situation for us either. It ain't easy smuggling people into the Citadel Tower. So just tell us what we want to know and we'll be on our way."

Anderson clenched his jaw and said nothing.

"First, the Normandy." The pistol was pressed hard into his shoulder in an obvious threat. "I want full access to the ship, got it? _Everything._ Access codes, Alliance transponders, the works."

"Forget the ship," the Krogan grunted. "We just need to kill Rose. Forget the damn piracy, Fist."

"Oh, that's rich!" Fist cried, glancing up at the Krogan. "Don't tell me you actually believe her?"

"We kill Rose, we're home free. We don't need the Alliance-"

" _Home free_!" Fist jumped to his feet and Anderson was surprised to hear the hint of panic enter his voice. "I'll take being hunted by the Alliance any day, we are not going back to that bitch! Her and her ship can burn in hell for all I care."

The Turians shifted on their feet, seemly agreeing with him.

Fist took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "You're on my payroll, Kull, so will you honor that or not?"

"It's simpler," the Krogan insisted. "We put a bullet in her head and run. That ship is our ticket out. Do you really think the Alliance will let us walk out of here with their new stealth ship?" He glared at the Turians. "Hell, you punks could have ended it there, but you let her go."

"We're not dying for this shit!" one of them snarled. "It was either get rid of that loyalist or get plugged full of holes, and I ain't dying for your escape."

"But do you think _she'll_ really let us live? Anyone?!" Fist snarled at the Krogan, his voice rising. "You know what happened to those slaves we sent? Those volunteers she asked for? Phil, remember him? That thing in the shuttle is all that's _left_! That's _us_ if we go back!"

The Krogan actually shuddered.

"Uh... I hate to break the news, boss, but we're out of time," one of the Turians said, checking his omni-tool. "Our scramblers were just discovered. I say we have about a minute left."

"Okay... change of plans then" Fist said, pulling a detonator out of his belt and taking a step back. "We'll bring the good Captain back to the ship and let... _Phil_ loose. If it kills Rose, great. If not," he smirked down at Anderson. "Well, at least we'll have something to work with. There's no way they can track it to us."

"Are you sure about that?" One of the Turians said.. "I've seen some shit in my life, but that... Spirits, what if it comes after us?"

"We'll be long gone by then," Fist replied, raising the detonator. Yet even he seemed reluctant. It sent Anderson's mind reeling. Just what did they have that they were so scared of? Even the Krogan seemed anxious. Then Fist took a deep breath, and pressed the button. Anderson tensed, waiting for the explosion, but none came. A second later the Krogan tossed him over his shoulder and the group sped out of the office at dead run. But they had forgotten to put the gag back in his mouth.

Idiots.

But before Anderson could shout for help, a sound filtered through the Tower. An unearthly wail that rose in pitch, like the screaming of the damned torn from hell itself. All thoughts of crying out were wiped from his mind as he clamped his mouth shut. He felt like a boy again, scared of the dark, huddling under the covers and waiting for the monsters to pass by.

But this time the monster was very, very real.

-ooo000ooo-

"You're sure?"

Tail glanced at her omni-tool. "The transponder is still active, so unless they jumped ship this is it."

"Then what's it doing here?" Wrex asked, peering out the windows of their skycar to a waiting shuttle on the far side of the bay. "How the hell did they get access to the Citadel Tower? He may be a crime lord but I doubt even he could buy a backdoor into here."

"Saren might have given him access."

"Never thought of that... Gah, it doesn't make any sense."

None of this did. He and Tail had tracked Fist down to a ship in the docks only to learn that the mobster wanna-be had left on his own personal mission, and with the state that he'd left the ship in, he didn't intent to come back. But why would he leave a free ticket off the station? He knew he was being hunted, so why run to the Tower? He honestly didn't think the Council was going to protect him, he was crime lord. Or he was just cooperating for a lighter sentence.

Wrex didn't know, and he hated not knowing. He wanted to payed just as much as the next merc, but not if that meant getting on the wrong side of the Citadel Council. He made it a rule to avoid Citadel business while at work, no need to paint a target on his back for Spectres after all, but in this case he had no idea what else to do.

The shuttle Fist had taken was parked in Bay 3, one of six spread throughout the Tower for official business. Tali had managed to track the transponder and got them here via the transit system. All and all, this was proving to be one of the most beneficial partnerships he'd had in a long time.

"So how are we going to do this?" Tali asked.

"We can get to the shuttle just fine," Wrex said, sizing up the area. "Just a few guards on duty, so we can assume Fist is still here. They'd have him locked up the moment he stepped out otherwise." He let out a slow breath, thinking hard. "How fast can you get the hatch open?"

"All depends on encryption. If he's using a system I've encountered before I can crack it in under ten seconds."

"Then we'll clear the ship, confirm the kill, get your data and fly it on out of here. Agreed?"

"Agreed." Tali looked out at the guards standing by the entrance on the far side. They hadn't noticed them yet, but then again a skycar resting at a transit station was a common site on the Citadel. "How soon do you think they'll notice us?"

"Hopefully not until the shooting starts." Wrex drew his shotgun and smirked at her. "You ready?"

She drew her own shotgun with a flourish, racking it for dramatic effect, as pointless as it was. "Ready."

"Go."

Wrex pushed the door open as quietly as he could and took off at a run towards Fist's shuttle. Tali fell into step beside him, sprinting to keep up. Thankfully the bay was abandoned as they wove between parked shuttles, putting as much concealment between themselves and the door guards as possible.

Maybe they could pull this off without a hitch.

As the shuttle drew near they slowed, ducking behind it and coming a gentle stop before they slammed into the hull and gave away their position. Wrex took a good look at the craft and cursed their bad luck. It was one of those crappy Mercury transports. He couldn't care less about the brand, but this model only had doors on the left side. The same side facing the guards.

"Damn you Fist," he growled, turning to Tali. "Open the hatch. We need to get this trash heap in the air as soon as possible. They'll notice us the moment we step out."

Tali was already going at her on her omni-tool, but her fingers began to slow before stopping entirely. "The doors are already unlocked," she said uncertainly. "Why would they do that."

Bomb.

The word jumped to the forefront of his mind. This might have all been a trap. He indulged the thought for a moment then rationalized the situation. Fist knew he was being hunted but not how close they were. And he wouldn't blew himself up, not if he was still in the shuttle. There was no evidence to suggest that he had left the craft, the guards would have picked him off instantly.

"The plan is still a go," he grunted. "Get ready to pilot this thing out."

The unlocked door didn't sit right with him, but it was a free ticket in, and he doubted they would be expecting a Krogan Battlemaster here of all places.

He peeked around the shuttle and waited for the guards to turn and talk to each other, then bolted for the hatch and slapped the access panel. It opened to reveal utter blackness. For a split second Wrex thought he was staring out into space, for there in the darkness were two glowing points of light like distant stars.

Not stars. _Eyes_.

An alien sensation of dread clutched at his chest. The feeling seemed to spill from the open hatch like a river. Then the eyes looked at him and Wrex felt his legs go weak. An unnatural fear rose up inside him, a primal instinct to run as the creature laid its eyes on him. But he was a Krogan, they didn't do running. Fear... well, they handled fear pretty well. He raised his shotgun... and suddenly he was flying through the air, landing on his back right in between the two guards almost thirty meters away.

Even when the pain in his chest began to register he was too stunned to move. The thing had knocked him halfway across the hanger!

The guards looked down at him, just as confused as he was. Then a rattle of chains caused them all to look up at the thing emerging from the hatch. It looked at them, and for the first time Wrex could remember, true terror suffused his being.

"Gods of mercy on us."

Then the thing opened its mouth and screamed.

-ooo000ooo-

 **Begin Operation: Bloody Tower  
T+: 00D:00H:00M:00S**

-ooo000ooo-

 **Well this took way too long. First it was those damn turkeys at thanks giving, then moving to a new apartment and then the rewrites. But honestly, I'm glad I wasn't hasty. I wouldn't call this my best work but I feel that its a turning point in my writing career. You see, the first version of this chapter were a lot different in terms of Anderson's reaction.**

 **The abbreviated version:**  
 **Ruby: Anderson, I lied to you and a lot of other people. But I'm really, really sorry, so can everything just go back to normal?**  
 **Anderson: There there. Okay, I won't tell them anything just to make you feel better and things will go back to normal.**

 **It was so. Hard. To write. I had to justify every word just to make it feel right. So I asked myself 'why is this so hard?' and the answer was painfully obvious: That's not who Anderson is. You can trust him as a friend, but he's still a human being and a loyal soldier to the Alliance. Yeah he's gonna be pissed when he learned that Ruby had effectively lied to them for a numbers of years, so my first version made no sense. I wouldn't call this my best work, but I feel I did right by the characters. Anderson feels like Anderson from the books to me, and I hope he does for you too**

 **Also I was trying to pack to much in, solve too many problems at once, so I decided to stretch out a bit because I need to explain things properly. A lot of stuff is going down with Ruby with her Aura being first on the list and if I rushed that it would end in disaster. Aura is going to play a larger part in the galaxy than you realize and ties in closely with the problems Ruby is going through; Aka; her unnatural rage. I need to set the foundation right or the story will fall apart, and the Citadel arc; Bloody Tower, will settle that.**

 **Until next chapter, have a good one, and I will catch you later!**


	14. Chapter 14 message

**Took it down. It was crap, and I should never had put it up. Need to start again.**


End file.
